Final Deal in JCPOA Talks Must Guarantee Removal of Sanctions on Iran: FM
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Foreign Minister of Iran Hossein Amirabdollahian emphasized that an ultimate agreement in the Vienna talks on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal must fulfill the Iranian nation’s rights and ensure the sustainable and effective removal of sanctions against Tehran.
In a telephone conversation on Monday evening, Amirabdollahian and European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell talked about the latest developments in the sanctions removal talks in Vienna.
Amirabdollahian said the Iranian delegation sat at the negotiating table with determination and seriousness to reach a deal and presented constructive ideas to resolve the remaining issues, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.
He added that Iran has presented its views and observations regarding the ideas offered by Enrique Mora to the coordinator of the Vienna talks. The foreign minister also said all parties are expected to show determination and seriousness to come up with the final text of a draft agreement.
The Iranian minister then appreciated Mora’s efforts at facilitating the process of reaching an agreement, noting that a final deal must fulfill the rights and interests of the Iranian people and guarantee the sustainable removal of anti-Iran sanctions.
For his part, Borrell said he believed that relative progress has been made in the latest round of nuclear talks in Vienna.
He added, “My assessment of this phase of talks is positive. We, as coordinators, will continue our efforts to bring the views of the parties closer together to reach a deal that is good for all sides.”
Amirabdollahian expressed hope that all parties to the talks, especially the US, would act realistically and avoid adopting unconstructive approaches to pave the way for an agreement.
Iran and the remaining parties to the JCPOA -- Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany -- started talks in the Austrian capital of Vienna in April last year. While the parties noted progress in multiple rounds of talks, the indecisiveness shown by Washington has prevented any significant breakthrough.
Last month, the negotiations were hosted in the Qatari capital of Doha in a different format, with Tehran and Washington holding indirect talks mediated by the European Union. Those talks also failed to produce any tangible result due to the excessive demands of the US.
After several months of impasse, the Vienna talks resumed on Thursday. Expert-level negotiations have been held between Iran and the P4+1 group of countries.
