EU Deputy Foreign Policy Chief to Join Iran Nuclear Talks
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Senior Iranian negotiator said on Saturday that EU deputy foreign policy chief will join the nuclear negotiations between Iran and world powers on Saturday.
The Iranian negotiators will meet with Helga Schmid on Saturday, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi told the IRIB.
Plenary talks with the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UNSC members plus Germany) will resume on Sunday, with all deputies in the attendance, Araqchi added.
Asked about bilateral negotiations with the United States, the Iranian negotiator said that the talks are not time-bound and will continue as long as necessary.
“We will continue the bilateral talks with the United States, and will talk with Russian officials in the afternoon,” he added.
The atmosphere of negotiations is “completely serious”, and both sides have “the will to reach an agreement”, Araqchi stressed, reiterating that there are still differences and gaps between the two sides.
Gaps are very substantial in some cases, and minor in others, the Iranian official said. “We are trying to fill in the gaps between the two sides,” he added.
Araqchi further noted that Tehran is still hopeful and thinks that clinching a final deal is possible if the other party shows the “determination and goodwill”.
The Iranian negotiating team is in the Swiss city of Geneva to discuss with world powers the ways to accelerate the talks over Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program.
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 Geneva.
Iran and world powers wrapped up the nuclear talks in the Swiss city of Geneva on December 17, 2014, three weeks after they failed to reach a final agreement by a November 24 deadline despite making some progress. The two sides agreed to extend the negotiations for 7 more months.