Lausanne Nuclear Talks to End with Press Statement: Iran’s Araqchi

(Tasnim) – Iran and six world powers will conclude a week of intensive nuclear talks in Lausanne with a press statement on Wednesday, top Iranian negotiator Abbas Araqchi said.

“There will be no agreement at the end of today, but we will announce the progress in a press statement,” Araqchi said in an interview with the IRIB on Wednesday.

Since a week ago, negotiators and senior diplomats from Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) have been working on a lasting agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program in the Swiss city.

The parties were scheduled to reach a framework agreement by the end of March, to be followed by a comprehensive deal by June 30 that includes all technical details.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Araqchi said the issues being discussed in the talks as well as Iran’s demands have priority over time limitations.

“We are in the extra time of the negotiations. We had planned to conclude the talks yesterday, but we never allowed the time to restrict us in (dealing with) the content of negotiations,” he explained.

The Iranian diplomat also expressed the hope that the parties could wrap up the talks today.

Speaking to reporters early on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had also said, “I hope that we can finalize the work on Wednesday and hopefully start the process of drafting (an agreement).”