‘Germany hopes for N-deal by July 20’

The German foreign minister has called on all sides involved in the talks over Iran’s nuclear energy program to exhaust all their efforts to clinch a final deal before the July 20 deadline.

“I hope that the July 20 date isn’t called into question, so all participants should exercise as much of their engagement and effort as possible to reach a conclusion in this timeframe,” said Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also said on the same day that all the negotiating sides are “determined to find a solution” to the West’s decade-old dispute with Iran over the country’s nuclear energy program.

There is a “chance” that Iran and the P5+1 group will manage to overcome their disagreements and reach a final deal by July 20, added the Russian diplomat.

The comments come as Iran and the P5+1 – Russia, China, France, Britain, the US and Germany – have been holding a new round of talks in the Austrian capital of Vienna since Tuesday to iron out their differences and finalize a permanent deal on Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

The two sides inked an interim accord in Geneva, Switzerland, last November, and set July 20, 2014 as the deadline to clinch a long-term nuclear agreement.

On June 18, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tehran and the six countries had started drafting a final deal despite the remaining “fundamental” differences, adding that if the other side shows political will, a comprehensive accord could be reached by the deadline.