Araqchi Dismisses Early Assessment of Results of Talks with Powers

(FNA)- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and senior negotiator Seyed Abbas Araqchi rejected to express his judgment about the results of the talks between Tehran and the world powers.

"The atmosphere of talks is of course good and respectful but it is still soon to judge the results," Araqchi said in an interview with Iran's state-run TV on Tuesday night after the end of the third round of talks with the US delegation in Geneva.

"We had very detailed negotiations with the American delegation, which served as a prelude to the Wednesday negotiations which will be held with all the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) member states," he said.

Araqchi also said that the Iranian team will also have bilateral talks with the French delegation and other members of the G5+1 on Wednesday.

The new round of talks between Tehran and Washington started in Geneva on Monday. The talks are held within the framework of Iran-powers negotiations over a final nuclear deal.

In relevant remarks on Sunday, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi expressed the hope that Tehran and the world powers would reach a final nuclear deal, stressing that both sides had no way but interaction.

"No way but interaction and understanding has remained and the two sides should reach an agreement," Salehi said.

"I am optimistic about reaching an agreement since if anything else happens, it will not benefit anyone," he said, adding that if no agreement is reached by the two sides, the world public opinion would know who to blame since Iran had shown utmost flexibility and paved all possible ways to strike a deal with powers.

Salehi also referred to the presence of AEOI representatives in the Iranian negotiating team, and said, "The issues related to (Arak) heavy water (reactor), Fordo, enrichment and sanctions have been raised and generally speaking, I should say that we have come close to each other in many cases and the cases with certain issues have been closed."

The 10th and last round of negotiations between Iran and the six world powers was held in Vienna from November 18 to 24.

Tehran and the six countries agreed to extend negotiations until July 1 after they failed to reach an agreement on a number of key issues.