Iran, G5+1 May Reach Deal by Year End: Rouhani
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran and six world powers can come to an agreement on the country’s peaceful nuclear program by year end, President Hassan Rouhani said.
Iran is determined to reach a deal with the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) and if the other side is serious as Tehran, “we can come to agreement”, Rouhani told the Rossiya 24 television on Monday.
The Iranian president also urged the negotiating parties to act more resolutely, addressing particularly the US which, he said, has been dragging its feet more than others even though all parties understand the importance of reaching an agreement as soon as possible.
Nuclear negotiators representing Iran and the Group 5+1 (also known as the P5+1 or E3+3) held a new round of talks on Tehran’s civilian nuclear program in New York from September 18 to September 26. The negotiations were wrapped up on Friday night without making any tangible progress.
Iran and the six nations on November 24, 2013, signed an interim nuclear deal in the Swiss city of Geneva.
Based on the interim deal, the world powers agreed to suspend some non-essential sanctions and to impose no new nuclear-related bans in return for Tehran's decision to freeze parts of its nuclear activities.
In July, Tehran and the six countries agreed to extend negotiations until November 24 in the hope of clinching a final deal.