Russia fearing possible delay in N-deal

Russian Foreign Minister has expressed concern over a possibility that the implementation of the initial phase of the Geneva nuclear deal over Iran’s nuclear energy program could be postponed due to European Union’s positions.

Sergei Lavrov said on Rossiya-24 news TV channel on Saturday “Unfortunately, the beginning of the first phase is being delayed because the European Union has told us that these agreements have to be endorsed by all the EU member states. The next opportunity for this will be on December 16 this year.”

He said “However, there are indications that the European Union members might be unable to endorse this package this time around, and then everything will be put off until January. That is, the six-month period for implementing the first phase will be delayed for one more month.”

He said “We are worried by this, and we will try to learn from our EU counterparts what these so-called insurmountable obstacles are because of which the endorsement of the agreement, which everyone has called a historic breakthrough and whose implementation everyone wishes, has in fact been delayed for many weeks.”

On November 24, Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – Russia, China, France, Britain and the US – plus Germany sealed an interim deal in the Swiss city of Geneva to lay the groundwork for the full resolution of the dispute between the West and Iran over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear energy program.

In exchange for Iran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities, the six countries undertook to lift some of the existing sanctions against the Islamic Republic.