Zarif -Ashton End Session Talks In Vienna
Talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton ended Thursday in Vienna, according to IRNA.
The three-hour talks focused on how to start a draft text for a permanent nuclear agreement.
It is expected that the bilateral talks between Zarif and Ashton will resume later in the afternoon.
The fourth round of nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers moved to a new phase on Wednesday, with the two sides sitting down to begin writing the text of a final accord.
Both sides have also acknowledged this negotiation process until the July 20 deadline would be tough.
According to Ashtonˈs spokesman Michael Mann, the negotiations had become very sensitive.
He stressed earlier although these negotiations were ˈobviously complicated,ˈ everybody in the Vienna IV talks was determined
to work very hard and to discuss elements of what a potential agreement could look like.
Mann said the duration of the nuclear talks until July 20 would depend on the degree of progress.
He reiterated Ashtonˈs determination to negotiate hard and to reach a nuclear agreement as fast as possible.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton resumed bilateral talks on Thursday to continue discussions for the third day over drafting a final agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1.
Talks between the Iranian and G5+1 delegations will start at the end of Zarif-Ashton negotiations.
Zarif and Ashton are to continue talks on issues disscussed in yesterdayˈs sessions.
On Wednesday, the two sides held two mornign and afternoon sessions to compile a draft text for a comprehensive agreement.
Zarif arrived in the Austrian capital on May 13 for talks with the six western powers (US, Britain, Russia, France and China plus Germany) to hammer out a final nuclear agreement by the end of the six-month interim accord set to expire on July 20,
The negotiations between Iran and the sextet is focused on drafting a final deal that will ultimately provide a comprehensive solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.
The talks between Tehran and the G5+1 are part of efforts to seal a final deal on Iran’s nuclear energy program.
Iran and the Group 5+1 representatives had several sessions of talks in Vienna on March 18-19 too.
Following the breakthrough interim agreement between Iran and the six powers, the two sides accepted to send their senior negotiating teams to monthly meetings to discuss a final and comprehensive deal until July. If the seven nations fail to agree on a final deal by then, the Geneva interim agreement will be extended for another 6 months.
R.S