Iran, World Powers Continue Nuclear Talks in Vienna
VIENNA (Tasnim) - Iranian nuclear negotiators meet with members of the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) in the Austrian capital, Vienna, as part of marathon talks with the world major powers to resolve the decade-long standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Seyed Abbas Araqchi, Iran’s top negotiator, said the Iranian delegation is to hold separate talks with Russian and Chinese teams on Tuesday morning.
He also said Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif who heads the Iranian delegation is to meet Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Araqchi underlined that Tehran’s nuclear program is the only issue discussed in the negotiations.
Earlier on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Minister and top nuclear negotiator Mohammad Javad Zarif said technical and bilateral meetings are needed to set up a common basis for drafting a joint document in nuclear negotiations between Tehran and world six powers.
Zarif made the comments following a working launch with European Union Foreign Policy Chief Catherin Ashton in the Austrian.
He described the meeting as positive and said the two sides agreed to hold a general meeting to review the main topics related to Tehran's nuclear energy program.
“Then we will need to hold technical and bilateral meetings to see whether the common basis for drafting a joint document is prepared or not, the top Iranian diplomat told reporters in Vienna.
Zarif and Ashton held a trilateral meeting with the American negotiators.
Upon arrival in Vienna, Zarif said that the nuclear talks between Tehran and six world powers could yield results if the sextet takes a realistic approach.
He also emphasized that the five-day talks will exclusively cover the nuclear issue.
The Iranian foreign minister described this phase of diplomacy as serious and underscored that “Tehran will not move beyond its redlines.”
Zarif also said there is enough time for the two sides to finalize a nuclear deal.
Iranian negotiating team is in Vienna to hold the fifth round of the nuclear negotiations with the sextet. This round of talks is aimed at drafting a comprehensive deal to settle the decade-long standoff over Tehran’s nuclear energy program.
The Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Seyed Abbas Araqchi will head the Iranian delegations in this week’s negotiations which will be attended by Ashton’s Deputy Helga Schmid, and the US representatives Nicolas Burns, Wendy Sherman, and the US Vice President National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
Iran and the Group 5+1 (alternatively known as the P5+1 or E3+3) inked an interim deal on Tehran’s nuclear program in Geneva last November, which came into force on January 20.
