Major Gaps Still Remaining between Iran, Powers
(FNA)- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and senior negotiator Seyed Abbas Araqchi said on Saturday that there are still wide gaps between Tehran and the world powers in their nuclear talks, adding that a final deal needs the opposite sides' good will.
"The atmosphere prevailing over the negotiations is completely serious and the two sides are determined to reach an agreement but there are problems, distances and different views. The distances are very wide over certain cases and in some other cases the gaps are very narrow, and we are trying to narrow down the distances between the two sides," Araqchi said in an interview with the state-run TV in Geneva today.
"We are still hopeful and think that if the other side shows the necessary determination and good will, reaching an agreement will be possible," he added.
Noting that the Iranian delegation will continue its bilateral talks with the US delegation this afternoon and will then have a similar meeting with the Russian officials, Araqchi said, "Also, there will be (multilateral) negotiations with the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) with the presence of all the deputy (foreign) ministers tomorrow."
He added that EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini will also join the talks on Saturday and the Iranian delegation will have a series of meetings with her too.
In relevant remarks on Friday, Araqchi said that Iran and the G5+1 have a hard path to pave as the two sides try to reach a final comprehensive agreement on Tehran's nuclear program.
"Finding a solution is really a difficult and heavy task, but we hope that we could achieve a result in the remaining time to the deadline," Araqchi said after a meeting between Iranian and US negotiators in Geneva.
He reiterated that no one could say how far the Iran-G5+1 talks have progressed so far.
On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif cautioned the G5+1 not to miss the present opportunity for cutting a final deal with Iran.
Speaking in a televised interview in Geneva, Zarif advised nuclear negotiators to use opportunity for resolution of the deadlock over Iran's nuclear program.
Upon arrival in Geneva, Zarif called on his western counterparts in the nuclear talks to show courage and avoid drawing baseless redlines to make a landmark nuclear deal possible.
"Now we have come to a stage that requires the other side to take its decision in order to enable use to move forward," Zarif said upon arrival in Geneva where he later met his US counterpart John Kerry on the latest developments in talks between Tehran and the G5+1.
"There need to be some new and comprehensive proposals, and we are ready to bring all issues to final results, but we should see the extent of the readiness of the other side," he added.
Zarif asked the western powers to take serious and brave decisions to help the negotiations move forward and produce results and avoid specifying improper redlines.
The 10th round of negotiations between Iran and the six world powers was held in Vienna from November 18 to 24, where the seven nations decided to extend the talks until July after they failed to strike an agreement.
The next round of the nuclear talks between the two sides will be held at the level of deputy foreign ministers in Geneva, Switzerland, on January 18.