Ministers to Decide on Few Key Differences: Iranian Nuclear Negotiator
VIENNA (Tasnim) – A few days before the conclusion of talks between Iran and world powers over the country’s nuclear energy program, some key differences are yet to be resolved by the ministers.
“Expert-level negotiations on some topics have already concluded, and issues are under discussion at the level of deputies (to foreign ministers),” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht Ravanchi told reporters on Thursday morning in Vienna, capital of Austria.
He, however, said that experts are still discussing some issues.
Takht Ravanchi further predicted that some issues would need to be resolved by ministers. “We expect that some key issues would remain for ministers to deal with in the final days."
Referring to the intensive talks to be held between the Iranian team and the Sextet, the Iranian official announced that there will be no plenary session between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UNSC members plus Germany) on Thursday, and the talks would be held bilaterally.
Foreign ministers will leave Vienna on Thursday, and the time of their return will be decided later, he added.
His remarks came as Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters on Thursday that the “negotiations are moving forward”.
Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, US, Britain, France, and Germany) are in talks in the European capital to hammer out a lasting agreement to end more than a decade of impasse over Tehran's civilian nuclear program.
The two sides on Tuesday extended the nuclear negotiations for seven days after the June 30 deadline expired.
