Zarif: Difficult, Serious Work Ahead for Iran, World Powers

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined that Tehran and the six world powers (the US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany) need serious work to settle down their differences.
“Serious and detailed work is needed to review the differences and proceed the work,” Zarif said at the end of two days of talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 in Vienna on Wednesday.

He underlined that in the next round of talks the two sides will try to reduce the distance between them.

“We will try to reach an understanding on a series of fundamental issues which should be agreed upon within the framework of a comprehensive agreement,” the Iranian foreign minister said.

On Tuesday, Zarif wrote on his Facebook page that both Iran and the six major world powers are doing their best to remove all obstacles in the way of reaching a final agreement, and expressed the hope that the present talks in Vienna would lead to the start of drafting a final deal in the next round of the negotiations.

“This round of talks is probably the last time (we) review important issues….,” the Iranian foreign minister said.

“From the next round, we will start drafting a final agreement which will be a complicated, tough and slow process,” he added.

Zarif said he has set up a committee of prominent experts to help Iranian negotiators in drafting the final deal.

In relevant remarks on Tuesday, senior Iranian negotiator Syed Abbas Araqchi voiced satisfaction in the progressive trend of the third round of talks between Iran and the G5+1 in Vienna. “Discussions were useful, constructive and were made in good atmosphere,” Araqchi said at the end of the first day of talks with the Sextet of the world powers in Vienna.

Araqchi went on to say that there are different viewpoints regarding the time frame for the completion of the talks but a final agreement is possible in less than six months.

On Wednesday, deputy chief negotiators from Iran and the six world powers (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) wrapped up their second day of talks in Vienna.

The talks were headed by Araqchi and EU foreign policy deputy chief Helga Schmidt.

The talks started on Tuesday by a session presided by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Zarif at the UN headquarters in Vienna. The talks continued by a meeting among the deputy chief negotiators of the seven nations.

The next round of the negotiations will be held in Vienna on May 13-14.