Nuclear Talks Tough But We Remain Hopeful, Iranian Negotiator Says

“In these negotiations we have always remained hopeful,” Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi, who is also a top member of the team of nuclear negotiators, said on Friday after deputy-level bilateral talks between Iran and the US ended in the Swiss city of Geneva.

“We hope to bring the negotiations to a conclusion within the remaining time,” he stated.

Araqchi hailed as very important the seriousness dominating the atmosphere of the talks.

“Both we and the other negotiating parties are very serious (in talks),” he told the IRIB.

The Iranian diplomat, however, said it is really difficult and tough to find a solution and strike a balance between both sides’ demands.

There are obstacles on the way (of reaching a deal) and there are differences of opinion on different issues, he reiterated.

Araqchi, along with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for American and European Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi, met with US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman and Deputy Secretary of State William Burns earlier on Friday.

The latest round of negotiations on Iran’s civilian nuclear program kicked off on Wednesday with a meeting between Zairf and US Secretary of State John Kerry.

The Iranian top diplomat on Thursday met with his German counterpart in Berlin and is due to hold talks with France’s foreign minister later today.

On Sunday, January 18, representatives from Iran and the Group 5+1 (France, Britain, the United States, Russia, China, and Germany) will have a plenary meeting in the Swiss city of Geneva.

Negotiations between Iran and the sextet aim to hammer out a final agreement to end more than a decade of impasse over Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program.

The two sides wrapped up their latest round of nuclear talks in the Swiss city on December 17, 2014, three weeks after they failed to reach a final agreement by a November 24 deadline despite making some progress.

They agreed to extend their discussions until July 1, 2015.