Iran, World Powers Due in Geneva Tomorrow to Resume Expert-Level Talks

Iran and the six major world powers plan to resume their experts talks in Geneva Thursday afternoon, a senior Iranian nuclear negotiator announced on Wednesday.
Seyed Abbas Araqchi, who is also a Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, said Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) are to hold expert-level talks on Thursday and Friday in the Swiss city.

The Iranian official added that the talks may be continued on Saturday and Sunday if necessary.

On November 24, Iran and the G5+1 sealed the six-month Joint Plan of Action to lay the groundwork for the full resolution of the West’s decade-old dispute with Iran over its nuclear energy program.

In exchange for Tehran’s confidence-building bid to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities, the Sextet of world powers agreed to lift some of the existing sanctions against Tehran and continue talks with the country to settle all problems between the two sides.

Iran and the six world powers had an expert meeting in Vienna, Austria, on December 9. The negotiations were scheduled to continue until December 13, but the Iranian negotiators cut short the talks and returned to Iran in protest at the US breach of the Geneva agreement by blacklisting a dozen companies and individuals for evading Washington’s sanctions.

US Secretary of State John Kerry tried to soothe Tehran’s anger over Washington’s fresh sanctions in a phone call to his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif Monday night.

Speaking to reporters after the phone conversation between the two top diplomats, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said, “The phone call was initiated by the US secretary of state.”

Afkham, who was speaking to reporters during a weekly press conference on Tuesday, told reporters that during the phone talk “he (Kerry) was informed of Iran’s dissatisfaction with the trend of the experts’ plan and the details of the implementation of the Joint Plan of Action (the Geneva agreement)”.

On Sunday, Zarif deplored Washington’s recent move, and said Tehran would show a well-assessed and goal-oriented reaction to any measure adopted by the world powers in violation of the deal.

“The Americans have taken improper measures in the last few days and we have given the appropriate response to them after considering all aspects of the issue,” Zarif said.

He stressed that Tehran is seriously pursuing the Geneva negotiations with the G5+1, “and we will, of course, show proper, well-assessed, targeted and smart reaction to any improper and unconstructive measure (of the opposite side even if it doesn’t violate the Geneva agreement)”.