Iran

Iran’s Zarif says ‘headway’ made in nuclear talks

371217_Iran-FM-Zarif

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says “important headway” has been made in the talks on Iran’s nuclear energy program, stressing, however, that the negotiations have yet to bear fruit.

On Sunday, Zarif said he had held about five hours of discussions with all representatives of the P5+1 group – the US, France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany – over Tehran’s nuclear energy program in the Austrian capital of Vienna.

The chief Iranian diplomat further stated that Tehran and its negotiating sides have not reached any final nuclear agreement so far, but that all parties have shown willingness to find a solution to the decade-old dispute over Iran’s civilian nuclear work.

“We haven’t resolved any problem, but we have made some important headway in probably removing some of the misconceptions and moving forward with making more serious decisions,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the chief Iranian diplomat held a number of meetings with US Secretary of State John Kerry and his European counterparts as well as high-ranking Russian and Chinese officials in Vienna.

Iran and the six states kicked off their sixth round of talks this year in the Austrian capital on July 3. They have been working to clinch a final deal ahead of a July 20 deadline, which can be extended depending on the agreement of all parties involved.

The two sides sealed an interim deal in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 23, 2013. The deal came into force in January.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi and top nuclear negotiator has said significant disagreements remain in the ongoing talks between Iran and the P5+1.

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