No Deal if Western Parties Continue to Undermine Talks: MP
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A senior Iranian lawmaker cautioned that if the West continues to undermine the ongoing talks in Geneva over Iran’s nuclear program, the talks will not result in an agreement among negotiating parties.
Avaz Heidarpour, member of National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament, told the Tasnim News Agency on Friday that the West’s obstructive practices would spoil the efforts to sign an agreement between Iran and the six major world powers in Geneva.
His comments came as senior diplomats representing Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) are now in the Swiss city, holding intensive negotiations over Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program.
This is the second time in a month that Geneva is hosting representatives from Iran and the group of six major world powers. They had three days of intensive talks on November 7-9.
During the previous round of talks, the two sides managed to narrow their differences on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, though there were hitches that stopped them from reaching an interim deal at the end of the talks.
Heidarpour also noted that Iran would never suspend its uranium enrichment activities inside the country, and added, “Iran’s nuclear centers will forcefully continue their peaceful activities.”
He reaffirmed that Iran is not after the nuclear weapons, saying that Tehran pursues a win-win policy in the nuclear talks with the six world powers.
In relevant remarks, Abbas Araqchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister and one of the country’s top nuclear negotiators, said there is a chance for Iran and the six major world powers to reach a nuclear agreement in Geneva, but described such a deal as a tough job.
Araqchi said the main obstacle to the progress of talks in this round was the Iranian delegation’s distrust of the other side, because there were disagreements among G5+1 members in the previous round of negotiations.
“If such mistrust is not revived, the talks will not make progress,” he noted.
“We should hear a consistent voice from the six countries, and should make sure that the other side would enter (talks) with a consistent voice and would not make excessive demands.”
