West Must Reach Consensus Over Iran Nuclear Talks, Says Araqchi

A high-ranking Iranian nuclear negotiator has called upon Western countries to arrive at a common position during the course of negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program, stressing that the Islamic Republic is not going to grant any concessions.

 “We are currently at a critical juncture and should reach the point, where we have a balanced deal that recognizes our nuclear program and lifts sanctions in exchange for confidence-building measures,” Seyyed Abbas Araqchi, who is also Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, said on Sunday.

“I believe what is needed more than anything else is coordination among our opposite sides so they can come to a common viewpoint in the talks,” he pointed out.

Araqchi further noted that no such coordination was evident during the recent round of negotiations in the Swiss city of Lausanne, adding that Iran believes an agreement over its nuclear program would be at reach if such cooperation coupled with political will existed.

The Iranian diplomat also responded to a recent statement by US President Barack Obama about the reversible nature of Iran sanctions removal.

 “If we cut a deal, both sides must be granted the verification right. Naturally, the terms that Iran agrees to will be verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the commitments that the other side assumes concerning the ease of sanctions must be honored in practice,” Araqchi said.

Iranian nuclear negotiators, headed by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, (3rd R) meet the US delegates, headed by Secretary of State John Kerry (3rd L) in the Swiss city of Lausanne, March 17, 2015.

The latest round of nuclear negotiations ended in Lausanne on Friday after six days of intense and serious discussions among representatives of Iran, the United States and the European Union. The talks will resume on March 25.

Talks between the US and Iran are part of broader ones between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1 group -the US, Britain, Germany, France, Russia, China – to reach a comprehensive agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program as a deadline slated for July 1 draws closer.

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