China calls for creativity in talks on Iran nuclear case

China says ongoing nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group have entered a “final” and “crucial” stage, calling on all involved sides to show creativity in order to facilitate a final accord.

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying expressed hope that Tehran and the six states – Russia, China, France, Britain, the US and Germany – would work “creatively” to sort out their differences and reach a permanent deal on Iran’s nuclear energy program.

The Chinese official also stressed that any final agreement aimed at ending the longstanding standoff over Iran’s nuclear work should be “balanced,” “fair” and “mutually beneficial.”

No substantial progress was made in the latest round of nuclear negotiations in New York, Hua said, stressing, however, that all sides demonstrated political will and discussed the core issues with seriousness.

Tehran and the six world powers wrapped up their seventh round of closed-door negotiations this year in New York on September 26. They are working toward a final nuclear deal before a November 24 deadline.

Last November, the two sides signed an interim accord, which took effect on January 20 and expired six months later. However, they agreed to extend their talks until November 24 as they remained split on a number of key issues.

On September 26, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi, a top nuclear negotiator, said Iran and the P5+1 states had not reached any agreement on major issues, adding, however, that there had been progress with regard to the details of technical issues.