Iranian FM: Excessive Demands Hamper Final Nuclear Deal
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian foreign minister blamed the excessive demands by some members of the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) as an obstacle to reaching a final agreement on Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program.
“Unfortunately, up to now, excessive demands by some members of the other party have hampered the agreement,” Mohammad Javad Zarif said during a meeting with the former French prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, in Tehran on Monday.
“The talks have reached a sensitive stage as the Islamic Republic of Iran has put several proposals on the table and now it is the other side’s turn to show their determination to reach an agreement,” Zarif noted.
Elsewhere in his remark, the Iranian minister also commented on the relations between Tehran and Paris, saying that the bilateral ties can be further expanded in diverse areas.
De Villepin, for his part, described a final nuclear agreement between Iran and G5+1 as very important, and said that in case the deal is secured, it will positively affect the entire Middle East region.
Nuclear negotiators representing Iran and the Group 5+1 (also known as the P5+1 or E3+3) wrapped up the latest round of talks on Tehran’s civilian nuclear program in New York on September 26 without making any tangible progress.
Iran and the six nations (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) 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.