Iranians Are in Vienna to Reach a Good Agreement
Iranians Are in Vienna to Reach a Good Agreement
Iran’s foreign minister has underlined Iran’s resolve to reach a “good agreement” through the ongoing talks in Vienna, which aim to remove U.S. sanctions, saying the Western sides to the Iran nuclear agreement have talked the talk in recent years but it is high time they walk the walk as well to secure a serious, good deal.

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran’s foreign minister has underlined Iran’s resolve to reach a “good agreement” through the ongoing talks in Vienna, which aim to remove U.S. sanctions, saying the Western sides to the Iran nuclear agreement have talked the talk in recent years but it is high time they walk the walk as well to secure a serious, good deal.

“We are all in Vienna to negotiate to reach a good agreement,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian wrote in a post on his Instagram page on Thursday night, hours after a new round of talks kicked off in the Austrian capital between Iran and the five remaining parties to the nuclear deal.

“The Western parties need to know that in the last eight years, enough words and empty promises have been uttered, but today, it is time to act,” Amir-Abdollahian noted.

Since April, Vienna has been hosting negotiations on a revival of the nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which would require the U.S. to remove its anti-Iran sanctions three years after Washington walked out of the JCPOA and slapped the bans on Iran to kill the deal.

Rejecting those concerns, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran’s nuclear program is completely peaceful, but added that there is a direct link between the removal of US sanctions and Iran’s decision to assuage the concerns.

“Although we doubt whether the Western side is ready to remove the sanctions or it only seeks to unilaterally ease its own concerns, we will certainly see quick progress in the talks if the Western side attends the negotiations with goodwill, initiatives, and constructive ideas,” the chief Iranian diplomat added.

Meanwhile Iran’s top negotiator in Vienna talks on the removal of sanctions imposed on the country says the Islamic Republic is serious about taking part in the negotiations in the Austrian capital, but insists on the positions it declared during previous meetings.

Ali Bagheri Kani made the remarks following the end of a meeting of Iran’s nuclear deal’s joint commission meeting in the Austrian capital on Thursday, which marked the resumption of the talks six days after they were paused.

“Iran underlined that it seriously continues the talks based on its previous position,” the Iranian lead negotiator told reporters on Thursday, adding, “Iran is serious about reaching an agreement if the ground is paved …. The fact that all sides want the talks to continue shows that all parties want to narrow the gaps.”

After the Thursday meeting, Bagheri Kani said the participants, including Iran, presented their views on the process of upcoming meetings.

 

Iran’s top negotiator underlined the country’s resolve to bring the talks into fruition, saying, “The Islamic Republic of Iran does not see any obstacle to reaching an agreement if the necessary ground is provided.”

Asked whether the other parties responded to Iran’s proposals, which were put forth last week under two draft texts, the lead Iranian negotiator said the issue needs to be pursued through the meetings of the working groups, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported.

The two draft texts address, separately, the removal of US sanctions and Iran’s nuclear actions. Iran says it is preparing a third draft text on the verification of the sanctions removal.

Bagheri Kani also slammed as unconstructive and detrimental Washington’s announcement of new sanctions against Iran while the Vienna talks are underway.

Iran’s negotiator added that several delegates of the P4+1 member states had also objected to the US move in imposing new sanctions on Iran, urging Washington to refrain from such moves, which can ruin the atmosphere of the talks.

He noted that removal of sanctions will lead to a major breakthrough in the talks.