Iranian Deputy FM Hopes for New Path in Nuclear Talks


Iranian Deputy FM Hopes for New Path in Nuclear Talks

MASHHAD (Tasnim) – Iran’s deputy foreign minister and one of the country’s top nuclear negotiators on Friday expressed the hope that a new path will be opened in next week’s nuclear talks in Vienna.

“In next week’s negotiations in Vienna we will discuss key issues like the (anti-Iran) sanctions and ways for lifting them as well as the dimensions of (nuclear) enrichment,”  Abbas Araqchi told reporters in Iran's northeastern holy city of Mashhad, adding, “We hope we can open a new path (in the nuclear talks)”.

“The talks have reached sensitive stages," he said.

He also noted that Iran expected progress in New York talks but it did not happen.

"Nonetheless" Araqchi underlined "the (negotiating) sides are very serious and we hope to make the most of the negotiation time.”

He further announced that negotiations on Iran’s civilian nuclear activity will resume in the Austrian capital of Vienna on Tuesday, October 14 and run until Wednesday, October 15.

Nuclear negotiators representing Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, US, France, Britain and Germany) wrapped up the latest round of talks on Tehran’s civilian nuclear program in New York on September 26 without making any tangible progress.

Earlier this week, Michael Mann, the spokesman for the European Union Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton, said Ashton, Iran’s foreign minister and US secretary of state are scheduled to hold a trilateral meeting in Vienna.

“In the framework of the E3/EU+3 (G 5+1) negotiations with Iran on its nuclear programme, which she leads, High Representative Ashton will on Tuesday October 14 hold bilateral talks in Vienna with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Following the bilateral meeting, they will be joined by US Secretary of State John Kerry for a trilateral meeting on Wednesday, October 15,” Michael Mann said on Wednesday.

On November 24, 2013, Iran and the five countries signed an interim nuclear deal in the Swiss city of Geneva.

Based on the interim deal, the world powers agreed to suspend some non-essential sanctions and to impose no new nuclear-related bans in return for Tehran’s decision to freeze parts of its nuclear activities.

In July, Tehran and the six countries agreed to extend negotiations until November 24 in the hope of clinching a final deal.

 

Top Nuclear stories
Top Stories