Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that The work of the Arak nuclear reactor in Iran and existing sanctions against the country over its nuclear activity areas some of the issues that remain unresolved in Iran talks.GENEVA, December 17 (Sputnik) An agreement onthe issue ofIran's disputed nuclear program would bolster global security, butunresolved issues, such assanctions imposed onIran and the work ofthe Arak reactor, stand inthe way ofa final deal, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has announced.
"Despite the attempts ofsome circles inthe international community toquestion the appropriateness ofthis agreementwe believe that the outcome that we currently foresee forthese negotiation efforts would definitely strengthen global and regional security," Ryabkov said ashe arrived inGeneva forthe 11th roundof Iran nuclear talks, scheduled forWednesday.
According tothe Deputy Foreign Minister, "this especially concerns the Middle East, where destabilization tendencies have yet again strengthened inrecent times".
Ryabkov also expressed hope that there would be no rollback inthe negotiations this time, adding, however, that an agreement might not be reached tomorrow or the day afterand that many issues, such assanctions imposed onIran overits nuclear activity and the work ofthe Arak reactor, remain unresolved.
"All these questions, unfortunately, are still inthe category ofunresolved issues," Ryabkov said, adding that assessing which issue is a more pressing one would be harmful tothe process ofachieving a positive result inIran talks.
"I do not want tosingle outany ofthem withrespect toother aspects not because it is hard forus todetermine what is atthe center and what remains onthe side, butbecause we have been dealing withthis asa package fora long time and an internal balances betweenthe different components ofthe deal are very sensitive," Ryabkov stressed.
The West has long been accusing Iran ofdeveloping nuclear weapons underthe guise ofa civilian nuclear program. The UN Security Council, the European Union, the United States and a number ofother countries have imposed several rounds ofsanctions onIran overits nuclear activity. Tehran insists that its nuclear program is aimed purely atachieving peaceful goals.
The P5+1 group ofsix world powers comprising Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China and Germany joined diplomatic efforts back in2006 inan attempt toreach a deal withthe Tehran authorities assuring the peaceful nature ofthe Iranian nuclear program. The latest roundof talks betweenIran and the P5+1 group held inNovember inVienna did not produce a comprehensive deal onIran's nuclear program and the sides agreed tocontinue the discussions untilJuly 2015.
A year ago, inNovember, 2013, it was agreed that Iran would freeze its program and halt the construction ofthe Arak reactor inexchange forpartial lifting ofthe sanctions. The deadline ofthe agreement was later moved toNovember 24, 2014.
By Sputnik New
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