Iran’s Chief Nuclear Negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani said that the delegations of participating parties in the nuclear talks will return to their capitals for consultations, and the talks will resume in Vienna next week…reports Asian Lite News
During the meeting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Joint Commission on Friday, a review of the past days’ talks in Vienna was presented by the parties, Bagheri Kani was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.
Iran: nuclear talks in Vienna to resume next week
The parties needed consultations with their governments about Iran’s proposals to provide “reasonable, documented and logical responses,” he said.
He announced on Thursday that two draft texts containing Iran’s proposals on sanctions removal and nuclear restrictions have been presented to the parties to the 2015 nuclear agreement, Xinhua news agency reported.
Bagheri Kani voiced the hope that the JCPOA parties will reach their conclusions “in the shortest time possible.”
Iran and the remaining parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, with still indirect involvement of the US, resumed the talks on Monday after nearly six months of hiatus in the Austrian capital of Vienna, seeking to remove anti-Iran sanctions and revive the agreement.
Iran will not sacrifice its demands to deadlines or “artificial timetables” of the ongoing nuclear talks, according to a commentary published by official IRNA news agency…reports Asian Lite News
After a nearly six-month pause, the talks aimed at salvaging the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal resumed on Monday in the Austrian capital of Vienna, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to the IRNA report, with the presence of representatives from Iran, the P4+1 group, namely Britain, China, France, Russia plus Germany as well as the European Union, the nuclear talks began at the expert level on Wednesday morning.
Iran Firm on Terms at Vienna Talks
The expert-level meetings of the Joint Commission of the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), are set to discuss the removal of US sanctions on Iran and the mechanisms for the parties to re-embrace their commitments under the accord.
“Representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirmed Tehran’s fundamental position on the need for effective lifting of sanctions against the Iranian people and encouraged other members to participate constructively in the talks,” according to IRNA on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, representatives of other countries expressed their “readiness and seriousness” to engage in the issue of lifting sanctions.
Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s Chief nuclear negotiator, is optimistic about the future of the talks and has stressed his country’s serious will to negotiate and its readiness to reach an agreement.
The majority of diplomats involved in the talks have described the atmosphere of talks as “positive”.
However, IRNA insisted that Iran will not be willing to sacrifice the principled demands and rights of the Iranian people to deadlines or artificial timetables that might be proposed for the conclusion of talks.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has sufficient will and desire to reach a fair agreement that serves the interests of the Iranian people, and is ready to reach an agreement as soon as possible if other parties take constructive positions. At the same time, Iran does not place itself in a state of emergency and considers reaching a good and precise agreement more important than reaching a quick agreement,” it added.
Between April and June, the JCPOA Joint Commission, attended by a US delegation indirectly, held offline talks in Vienna to discuss a possible return of the US to the JCPOA, which it left in 2018, and how to ensure the full and effective implementation of the deal.
OPEC marks 5th anniversary of landmark ‘Vienna Agreement’
The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Tuesday marked the 5th anniversary of the historic ‘Vienna Agreement’ reached at the 171st Meeting of the OPEC Conference held on 30 November 2016 in Vienna, Austria…reports Asian Lite News
The milestone meeting built on the successful ‘Algiers Accord’, reached in Algiers, Algeria, on 28 September 2016 at the 170th (Extraordinary) Meeting of the OPEC Conference and paved the way for the historic Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) between OPEC Member Countries and leading non-OPEC oil producing nations to work together in the interest of sustainable oil market stability.
OPEC marks 5th anniversary of landmark ‘Vienna Agreement’
The Conference saw OPEC Member Countries reinforce their joint efforts to overcome a then-unprecedented oil market downturn, reduce inventory overhang, particularly in the OECD region, and revive the necessary investment to support energy security and market stability in the short, medium and long terms.
In recalling the momentous meeting, OPEC Secretary General, Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, stated: “The volatility seen in the oil market in 2016 was unprecedented for many; however, there was a strong consensus that the way forward requires collaboration, leadership and extensive diplomacy – some of the key characteristics that have underpinned the Organisation’s work since its founding 61 years ago.
“The ‘Vienna Agreement’ constitutes an historic moment in the history of the oil industry, as well as in international cooperation and multilateralism, as it led to the institutionalization of a global framework that not only helped the oil industry immediately, but also years later when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020 and caused a severe oil market contraction.”
Five years ago, on the last day of November, OPEC Members called on non-OPEC oil-producing nations to join an initiative to cooperate on a regular basis to support oil market stability, highlighting the key role that non-OPEC producers can play in achieving this all-important objective. They additionally adopted oil production adjustments and established a high-level ministerial monitoring committee to review the implementation of these decisions.
These efforts were carried out to help restore stability in the global oil market for the benefit of all producers, consumers and investors, as well as the global economy. They additionally underpinned the Organization’s views on the importance of multilateralism, international cooperation and dialogue.
According to The Times of Israel, the US, in reaction to the latest development, said that a deal is possible quickly if Iran is “serious” in the Vienna talks…reports Asian Lite News.
Iran and the European Union have agreed to resume nuclear talks on 29 November in Vienna. In a statement, the EU’s European External Action Service said that the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will convene in a “physical format” at the end of this month in Vienna. The statement added that the talks will be chaired by Enrique Mora on behalf of EU foreign policy chief Josip Borrell.
Separately, Deputy Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri, who is also Tehran’s lead negotiator, confirmed the date for the resumption of talks. Taking to Twitter, Bagheri said that the 29 November date had been set in a phone call with Mora. Meanwhile, according to The Times of Israel, the US, in reaction to the latest development, said that a deal is possible quickly if Iran is “serious” in the Vienna talks.
Vienna has been hosting talks aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear agreement since April. However, the negotiations have hit a deadlock as Iran has insisted that its nuclear steps are reversible if Washington lifts all sanctions. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi even said that Tehran is after “goal-oriented” talks with the West and noted that his country “never left” the negotiation grounds.
The US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018 when Donald Trump was in office, and imposed sanctions on Iran…reports Asian Lite News
Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s senior nuclear negotiator, said that the Vienna nuclear talks for the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), will resume on November 29.
Iran Vienna nuke talks to resume on Nov 29
“In a phone call with Enrique Mora, we agreed to start the negotiations aiming at the removal of unlawful and inhumane sanctions on Nov. 29 in Vienna,” Bagheri Kani tweeted late Wednesday.
After meetings between Bagheri Kani and Mora, deputy secretary-general of the European External Action Service, in Tehran and Brussels, Iran and the European Union had agreed on the resumption of talks in November, reports Xinhua news agency.
Iran has said the issue of lifting sanctions and the related parties’ full implementation of obligations to the JCPOA will be the main agenda of the talks which has been suspended since June following a shift in Iran’s administration.
US and Iranian officials began indirect talks in Vienna this April to restore the 2015 nuclear agreement, but their disagreements remained significant after six rounds of negotiations, which have been interrupted due to Iran’s government transition.
To pressure Tehran, US President Joe Biden’s administration has recently reiterated the window for negotiations on a return to the JCPOA will not be open forever and warned of turning to other options if diplomacy fails.
The US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018 when Donald Trump was in office, and imposed sanctions on Iran.
In response, Iran has gradually stopped implementing parts of its commitments to the deal since May 2019.
The Iran nuclear deal was struck in 2015 but paralyzed by the US withdrawal in 2018…reports Asian Lite News.
As Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov mentioned, Vienna n-deal talks are really “encouraging signs” as it foresees a compromise and returning to the Iran nuclear deal.
The Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal, resumed talks here again, with the lifting of sanctions on Iran and nuclear implementation measures on top of the agenda.
The European External Action Service (EEAS) said in a press release earlier on Friday that participants would “take stock of the discussions held at various levels this week, including the relevant expert groups, in the view of a possible return of the United States and to ensure the full and effective implementation of the JCPOA by all sides”, Xinhua news agency reported.
The joint commission started the talks on Tuesday, which have drawn public attention as representatives from the United States are in Vienna to save the deal.
The Iran nuclear deal was struck in 2015 but paralyzed by the US withdrawal in 2018.
The US and Iranian negotiators are expected not to meet face-to-face, but will hold indirect talks with the intensified help of the coordinators, according to a statement previously released the by EEAS.
The talks are chaired by Enrique Mora, the deputy secretary general and political director of the EEAS, on behalf of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. Representatives from China, France, Germany, Russia, Britain and Iran are attending.
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price informed that two working groups in the meeting were focused on respective steps for Tehran and Washington to revive the nuclear deal…reports Asian Lite News
The US has called the talks in Vienna over the 2015 Iran nuclear deal “a constructive step”, but rejected Tehran’s position of “maximalist demands”
“These discussions in Vienna, even though we are not meeting directly with the Iranians, as we have said, it is a welcome step, it is a constructive step, it is a potentially useful step,” Xinhua news agency quoted State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters in Washington at a press briefing on Tuesday.
“We don’t anticipate any immediate breakthrough,” he said.
“We know there will be difficult discussions ahead but again this is a healthy step forward.”
Price noted that two working groups in the meeting were focused on respective steps for Tehran and Washington to revive the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“What is on the table in Vienna today and over the next handful of days are those initial indirect discussions about that first step, what Iran would need to do to resume compliance with the JCPOA and what the US would need to do to resume its compliance with the JCPOA,” he said.
He expected the US could have a better understanding of a roadmap for how both sides get to mutual compliance with the nuclear deal following the discussions in Vienna.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who is leading Tehran’s delegation in Vienna, said earlier in the day that the US must remove all its sanctions against the Islamic Republic in one step if it seeks to rejoin the nuclear deal.
Price, however, made clear that the US would not accept “maximalist demands” from Iran.
“I think what we can essentially rule out are the maximalist demands that the United States do everything first and only in turn would Iran then act, I don’t think anyone is under the impression that that would be a viable proposal,” he said.
The Joint Commission of the JCPOA resumed talks in Vienna on Tuesday as senior diplomats of China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK, and Iran met behind closed doors in the Grand Hotel Wien.
Media reports said the US delegation led by Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley was put up at a nearby hotel.
The US and Iranian negotiators did not have direct talks, but a shuttle diplomacy approach was adopted with the intensified help of the coordinators.
Washington withdrew from the deal in 2018 and tightened sanctions on Iran under former President Donald Trump.
In response to the US moves, Iran suspended the implementation of parts of its obligations under the deal.
The aim of the consultations is to pave the way for the US to return to the agreement and to motivate Iran to comply with it again…reports Asian Lite News
Top diplomats are due to meet in Vienna on Tuesday to try to save the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), this time under new auspices.
The aim of the consultations is to pave the way for the US to return to the agreement and to motivate Iran to comply with it again, reports dpa news agency.
The round of talks between the remaining partners – Russia, China, France, the UK and Germany – is the first dialogue with Iran since US President Joe Biden took office in January.
Unlike his predecessor Donald Trump, Biden wants to revive the agreement.
According to information from Tehran, there will be no direct contact between Washington and Tehran at this stage.
The agreement is considered an important building block for arms control, as it is intended to prevent the Islamic Republic from building a nuclear weapon.
In 2018, Washington withdrew from the deal and tightened sanctions on Iran under former President Donald Trump.
In response to the US moves, Iran suspended the implementation of parts of its obligations under the deal.
The two countries are in a standoff over reviving the nuclear deal.
The Biden administration has said that if Iran returns to full compliance with the JCPOA, Washington would do the same.
But Iran insists its full compliance will only take place once US sanctions are removed.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua/IANS)
“We will not talk directly or indirectly with the US in Vienna,” said deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi…reports Asian Lite News
Iran will not engage in negotiations with the US at the meeting in Vienna next week where the 2015 nuclear deal will be discussed, a top official said here on Sunday.
“We will not talk directly or indirectly with the US in Vienna,” deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said, denying American reports that indirect negotiations would take place between the two.
The remaining parties of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal are to hold a fresh round of discussions on a possible US return to the agreement that aims prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons in return for sanctions relief.
The US pulled out in 2018 and trading restrictions reimposed by Washington have prevented Tehran from reaping significant economic benefits.
In return, Iran started scaling back its compliance last year by overstepping key limits related to uranium, the fuel for civilian nuclear power stations but which can be enriched to make warheads.
“Iran’s policy in this regard is clear and simple: the US must return to the Vienna nuclear agreement, fulfil the deal in accordance with the treaty and lift sanctions against Iran,” Araghchi told state television.
As soon as this happens, Iran will return to complying with the deal’s agreements, said Araghchi, who heads the Iranian delegation.
He also said Tehran would only hold purely technical talks on a US return to the deal and the parties would then pass on the details to the US.
“How they do that, whether they will be successful or not, all that is their business and not ours,” the Minister added.
