FM: Iran, World Powers to Start Drafting Final Deal Soon
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced on Monday that Tehran and the six world powers (the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany) would begin compiling a draft of their final deal in May.
“In this round we will discuss the subjects and issues and will round them up so that we can start compiling a draft agreement in the next round in (the Iranian month of) Ordibehesht (April 21-May 21),” Zarif told reporters upon arrival in Vienna where he is due to meet the representatives of the world powers.
In relevant remarks on Saturday, a senior US administration official said Iran and the six major world powers are making progress in their talks over Tehran’s nuclear program, and a comprehensive agreement will be drafted in May.
The official, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity, said the statement comes ahead of the third round of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear deal on April 7-9 in Vienna.
On Thursday, nuclear experts from Iran and the Sextet of the world powers started talks in Vienna as part of efforts to reach an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program.
Iran and the G5+1 ended their expert-level talks in Vienna on Saturday afternoon as the head of the Iranian team described the negotiations as useful.
Speaking after the last session of the talks, the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Director-General for Political and Legal Affairs, Hamid Baeidinejad who led the Iranian delegation, described the negotiations with the expert teams of the six world powers as “useful”.
The talks between Tehran and the six world powers are part of efforts to seal a final deal on Iran’s nuclear energy program.
Iran and the Group 5+1 representatives had several sessions of talks in Vienna on March 18-19.
On November 24, Iran and the five permanent United Nations Security Council members sealed a six-month Joint Plan of Action to lay the groundwork for the full resolution of the West’s decade-old dispute with Iran over the latter’s nuclear energy program.
In exchange for Tehran’s confidence-building bid to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities, the Sextet of the world powers agreed to lift some of the existing sanctions against Tehran and impose no nuclear-related sanctions on Iran during the six-month period.
