Joint Iran-EU Statement Imminent; Zarif Says Solutions ‘Found’
Following (IraqiNews.com) Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says solutions have been “found” in talks between six world powers and Iran on curbing Tehran’s nuclear program.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, meanwhile, said “good news” was coming and the German Foreign Ministry said an “understanding had been reached on key points.”
The comments came as the European Union and Iran were expected to issue a joint statement on the state of negotiations.
U.S. officials said Mogherini and Zarif would issue the statement in English and Persian, respectively, this evening in Lausanne, Switzerland.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is then expected to hold a news conference.
Reuters said the statement will claim that sufficient progress has been made in the talks between officials from Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China, and the United States with Iranian officials for talks to continue until a final deadline of June 30.
The two sides — who have held talks in the Swiss resort Lausanne for the past eight days — missed a March 31 deadline to establish a framework agreement that would remove Iran’s capability to make nuclear weapons in exchange for relief from tough U.S., EU, and UN economic sanctions against Tehran.
Earlier in the day, Zarif had said there has been “significant progress” but no “final result yet” at the talks.
Western nations want to ensure Iran cannot build a nuclear bomb, while Tehran wants a swift end to UN, U.S., and European Union sanctions that have badly hurt its economy.
“We have made significant progress in the talks, but still we have not agreed on the reviewed solutions,” said Zarif, who met for hours overnight with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry while lower-level officials also held talks.
“We are working on setting parameters of the issues that will lead to drafting the final deal by the end of June,” Zarif said in a reference to the June 30 deadline the six powers and Iran have set for a comprehensive deal.
Negotiators from Iran and the six powers — the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany — also held a series of meetings into the morning. /End/