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FM: Iran, G5+1 start writing final agreement

Iran Materials 18 June 2014 23:21 (UTC +04:00)
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced that Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, France and Britain plus Germany) have started writing the text of final agreement or the Comprehensive Joint Plan of Action, IRNA reported.
FM: Iran, G5+1 start writing final agreement

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced that Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, France and Britain plus Germany) have started writing the text of final agreement or the Comprehensive Joint Plan of Action, IRNA reported.

The Iranian foreign minister said that the two sides had difficult discussion over the past two days.

ˈSome stances of the other side are completely unacceptable,ˈ Zarif said.

Representatives of Iran and the Group 5+1 continued talks on Wednesday over a final agreement on Tehranˈs nuclear program.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araqchi accompanied by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi and EU foreign policy deputy chief Helga Schmidt held a round of talks in Vienna on Wednesday.

The meeting was followed by multilateral and bilateral talks among the members of the G5+1 started.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday night after holding negotiations with the representatives of the G5+1, Araqchi described the atmosphere of the talks as positive, and said drafting the final deal between the two sides would possibly start on Wednesday.

ˈThe meetings are held intensely and the discussions are made in a constructive and positive atmosphere,ˈ he said.

The senior negotiator expressed the hope that the two sides would reach an initial general text in this round even if some differences still remain in place.

Asked about the common points and differences between Iran and the G5+1, Araqchi said both sides agree the continuation of Iranˈs enrichment program and the removal of sanctions, while they hold different views on the operation of Iranˈs heavy water reactor in Arak and Fordo enrichment facility.

Araqchi underlined that no other issue than Iranˈs nuclear program is discussed in the talks between Iran and the G5+1, adding that the other side still maintains its past positions and sometimes raises excessive demands which makes reaching an agreement difficult.

He said that Iran seeks the removal of all sanctions against the country but the two sides haven't been able to agree on the timeline and arrangements for such a move.

Zarif and his accompanying team of negotiators arrived in Vienna Monday morning to participate in the fifth round of talks between Tehran and the six major world powers in the Austrian capital from June 16-20.

The Iranian delegation is led by Zarif. The talks started by a working luncheon between Zarif and Ashton followed by a trilateral meeting with the US delegation.

Iran and the world powers have said that they are resolved to start drafting a long-awaited final deal in this round of talks.

Upon arrival at Vienna airport, Zarif told reporters that Iran and the G5+1 have one month to reach a comprehensive deal and ˈif the other side is ready, we will (also) be prepared to draft the final agreementˈ.

ˈWhenever the other side is ready to enter talks seriously, there will be a possibility for reaching results,ˈ he added.

Zarif also noted the fatwa (religious decree) issued by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei against the production and use of the nuclear weapons, and said it provides an ˈobjective guaranteeˈ to ensure the opposite sides that Iranˈs nuclear program will remain peaceful.

In November 2013, Iran and the six world powers signed an interim nuclear deal in the Swiss city of Geneva that came into force on January 20. The deadline for attaining a final deal is July 20.

Iran and the six world powers last met in their fourth round of talks in Vienna on May 14-16. Since the November deal, the seven nations have been discussing ways to iron out differences and start drafting a final deal that would end the West's dispute with Iran over the country's nuclear energy program.

After the May meeting, Iran said there has been no tangible progress in writing the draft text of the agreement and it blamed the US for the failure, saying Washington has made excessive demands beyond the agreements made in the previous rounds of talks.

Last week, Iran and the powers held a series of bilateral talks to narrow down their differences before the start of the multilateral negotiations in Vienna. Thus, the Iranian negotiating team had a series of bilateral talks with most G5+1 members during the last week.

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