Too Early to Talk about Nuclear Talks Extension: Iranian Spokeswoman
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said it would be premature now to talk about an extension of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and six world powers beyond an end-June deadline.
"The talk of extending (the deadline) is rather premature, and the parties are trying to make the most of the remaining time,"Afkham told reporters in her weekly press conference on Wednesday.
Her comments came after experts from Iran the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) started a new round of meetings in Vienna on Tuesday, while deputy-level talks are slated to begin Wednesday.
Iran and the six powers are in talks to strike a lasting agreement that would end more than a decade of impasse over Tehran's civilian nuclear program.
On April 2, the two sides reached a framework nuclear deal in Lausanne, Switzerland, with both sides committed to push for the final deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), until the end of June.
Elsewhere in the conference, Afkham said the negotiations on drafting the text of an accord will go on until "the parentheses and differences" are reduced and the ground is set for clinching a comprehensive deal.
Asked about the possibility of an Iran-G5+1 ministerial meeting, she said no timetable has been set for such a gathering yet.
