Iran, Russia FMs Urge Continuation of Nuclear Talks

Foreign ministers of Iran and Russia have stressed the importance of proceeding with nuclear negotiations between Tehran and the P5+1 countries about Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad JavadZarif and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, held a meeting in the Swiss city of Geneva on Monday on the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council session.

The two ministers exchanged views on the latest developments in Iran’s nuclear negotiations with the P5+1 countries.

They also discussed ways to bolster Tehran-Moscow relations as well as regional issues, particularly the crisis in Syria.

“The parties discussed the current state and prospects of the talks over the Iranian nuclear program, as well as several aspects of the international agenda and bilateral cooperation,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Iranian foreign minister also sat down with Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights ZeidRa’adZeid al-Hussein on Monday.

Lifting all sanctions

Speaking to Press TV reporter in Geneva following his meeting with Lavrov, Zarif said a deal on Iran’s nuclear program could be concluded this week if the United States and Western members of the P5+1 group have sufficient political will and agree to remove sanctions on Tehran.

He added that a final agreement between Iran and the P5+1 requires the removal of all sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear program.

“Of course our negotiating partners, particularly the Western countries and particularly the United States, must once and for all come to the political understanding that sanctions and agreement don’t go together. If they want an agreement sanctions must go,” the top Iranian nuclear negotiator said, adding, “Sanctions are not an asset. They have never been an asset. They are a liability and the sooner they remove this liability from the table, the sooner we will get to an agreement.”

The top Iranian nuclear negotiator further emphasized that a comprehensive nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 would depend on the “political will” of the sides.

Zarif said Iran has exhibited its political will by participating in nuclear discussions while bringing its highest authorities to the talks and by showing that it wants to find a deal, noting that Iran has left “no stone unturned in order to find a mutually acceptable solution.”

President Rouhani’s stance on sanctions

In a meeting with Italy’s Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni in Tehran on Sunday, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani reaffirmed the country’s commitment to all its nuclear obligations, stressing that sanctions against the Islamic Republic must be lifted “all at once.”

“The basis of nuclear negotiations is [making] efforts to reach common views and mutual confidence and we believe that all sanctions should be lifted all at once,” Rouhani said.

He added that the sanctions, which have been imposed on Tehran in recent years on “incorrect bases.” have been detrimental to all including the European Union.

Iran, US envoys wrap up nuclear talks in Montreux

In the same context, representatives from Iran and the United States have wrapped up the first round of fresh talks over Tehran’s nuclear program in the Swiss city of Montreux.

The negotiations were held on Monday in an attempt to narrow differences on the outstanding issues over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad JavadZarif, Director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran’s deputy foreign ministers Abbas Araqchi and MajidTakht-e Ravanchi together with special aide to Iran’s president HosseinFereidoun constituted the Iranian team. The US delegation was comprised of US Secretary of State John Kerry, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, EU’s Deputy Foreign Policy Chief Helga Schmid and US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.

The talks are scheduled to continue on Tuesday in the Swiss city from 9:00 am local time (800 GMT(.

Before the talks on Monday, Kerry had announced that he would leave Montreux after visiting Zarif. The reports, however, said that he plans to stay in the Swiss city for negotiations. According to reports, the two sides seem to be determined to reach a political agreement ahead of a key July 1 deadline for reaching a comprehensive deal.

The new round of talks in Montreux came as representatives from Iran and the United States held three rounds of intensive talks in the Swiss city of Geneva on February 22-23 to bridge their differences ahead of the July 1 deadline.

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