Political will can lead to Iran-P5+1 nuclear deal: Zarif

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Iran and the P5+1 global powers can reach a deal over Tehran’s nuclear program if the six countries show the same political will as Iran.

“In my view, if the opposite side has the same political will as the Islamic Republic of Iran, reaching a solution will not be difficult,” Zarif said upon his arrival in the Swiss city of Lausanne on Sunday.

The Iranian chief nuclear negotiator added that technical aspects and the lifting of sanctions will be the two most important issues that will be discussed in the upcoming round of talks with the P5+1.

“There are two issues that need to be highlighted in this round of talks. One is regarding the issues which have not been resolved yet or those for which there are solutions but the details of which have not been fully discussed,” he said.

He said that Iran and the P5+1 countries may require more elaborated discussions about certain technical topics, adding that head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi and US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will start technical discussions on Sunday.

“The second issue pertains to the sanctions and the commitments of all parties…it should be made clear how the sanctions will be removed and what guarantees are provided for the agreement,” Zarif stated.

He underscored the importance of working out a specific mechanism to make sure that all sides stick to their commitments.

Zarif said political directors of the P5+1 countries are also likely to join talks on Tuesday, noting that the negotiating sides should make efforts to put final touches on the proposed solutions as they should discuss all the proposed solutions before drafting the text of an agreement.

Zarif emphasized that “reaching solutions does not mean a comprehensive agreement.”

He further criticized the US senators for recently sending a threatening letter about the future of any final deal, saying their action showed to the world that Iran is genuinely seeking to find solutions, but a small group is resorting to all means to prevent any deal.

Heading the Iranian nuclear team, Zarif arrived in Lausanne on Sunday for fresh nuclear talks with the American delegation, led by US Secretary of State John Kerry later in the day.

Iran’s deputy foreign ministers Abbas Araqchi and Majid Takht-e Ravanchi and US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman are scheduled to open a fresh round of nuclear talks in Lausanne on Sunday. European Union deputy foreign policy chief, Helga Schmid, will be also present in the negotiations.

Following the talks, Zarif will leave for Brussels, Belgium, on Monday, where he will discuss Iran’s nuclear issue with his German, French and UK counterparts, namely Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Laurent Fabius and Philip Hammond.

EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, will host the Brussels talks “as part of the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran,” her office said in a statement last week.

On March 4, Zarif and his American counterpart Kerry wrapped up intense nuclear negotiations in the Swiss city of Montreux. Salehi and Moniz also attended the talks.

Representatives of Iran and the United States had also held three rounds of intense negotiations in the Swiss city of Geneva on February 22-23.