TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, France and Britain plus Germany) will end their negotiations in Vienna on Friday, informed sources said on Wednesday.


Sources privy to the ongoing talks between Iran and the six world powers in the Austrian capital told FNA on Wednesday that the current round of the negotiations - known as Vienna 6 - will end on Friday although the Geneva interim nuclear deal and the deadline for striking a final agreement will be extended for several months.

The source, however, said that the exact date for the next deadline is not known yet, and reiterated that a halt in the talks does not at all mean a failure in reaching a final deal.

The sixth round of talks between Tehran and the G5+1 headed by Zarif and EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton officially started in Vienna on July 3 and is still continuing in the Austrian capital with both sides describing the negotiations as hard, but constructive and positive.

Earlier today, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined that Iran and the G5+1 have not yet reached an agreement on extending their negotiations in Vienna.

"We have not agreed with the extension of the negotiations yet," Zarif told reporters in Vienna on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the Iranian foreign minister underlined that it is now the best time and opportunity for the West to reach a final deal with Iran, but meantime, stressed that he would accept only a solution that satisfies Iran.

"The only solution which is acceptable is the real one," Zarif said.

The Iranian foreign minister reiterated that Iran's nuclear program is completely peaceful, and said, "We are ready to remove all logical concerns."

He noted that the two sides are experiencing "a difficult and crucial trend" in their ongoing negotiations in Vienna now, and said the progress made in the negotiations has been enough to convince the two sides to continue their talks after the July 20 deadline which was envisaged in the Geneva interim deal signed by Tehran and the six world powers in November.

"The ultimate deadline is November 25," the Iranian foreign minister said, implying that the negotiations could continue for six more months.

Iran and the six world powers agreed in their Geneva deal that the July 20 deadline could be extended for another six months, if all the seven nations agree.

Zarif, however, said that Iran does not like the negotiations to continue after July 20, "but this is possible".

He said that some Group 5+1 negotiators believe that extending the negotiations beyond July 20 can be useful.

"We continue our work with the belief that there is a way to move forward," the Iranian foreign minister said.

Zarif pointed to the number of centrifuges - a bone of contention in the talks between Iran and the sextet - that Iran wants to maintain, and stressed that reducing the number of Iran's centrifuge machines is just one way, "but there are also some other proven scientific ways to make sure that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful as well."

He noted that Iran has already made its decision, adding, "We have shown that we are serious in talks." But he reminded that reaching a solution and final deal needs seriousness of both sides, "it is a two-way" street.

"It is necessary to take a serious political decision and serious decision means that to reach a solution we need to think of the way of ensuring the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program," Zarif said.

He reiterated that the text of the final agreement has reached a level that it is sufficiently transparent and it can be signed as soon as "political decisions are made".

The Iranian foreign minister also said that he is due to meet with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukio Amano this week.

He further pointed to Britain's cabinet reshuffling, and expressed the hope that the new British foreign secretary "will adopt a constructive diplomacy" towards Iran.

Asked if Iran would accept to endorse the additional protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the foreign minister stressed that the parliament is the only authority vested with the power to sign or reject the document.

By Fars News Agency

 

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