Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has expressed “confidence” that the issues regarding Iran’s nuclear energy program can be resolved.
In a Friday interview in the Turkish eastern city of Van, Zarif expressed satisfaction over the progress of Iran’s nuclear talks with six world powers and underscored the need for goodwill on behalf of the negotiating parties in order to tackle the existing problems.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany are working to hammer out a comprehensive deal following the Geneva accord. Experts from both sides met in Vienna, Austria, last week.

The next round of high-level talks between Iran and the six countries is to be held in Vienna on March 17.

Zarif noted that if the nuclear issue is resolved, Iran and Turkey can reach their planned USD 30 billion trade volume and even exceed that level.

He described Iran as the most reliable energy source for Turkey and expressed confidence that the two countries will resolve their differences over the price and volume of Iran’s natural gas exports to Turkey.

In mid-February, Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said Ankara had offered to raise its gas purchase from Iran to 20 billion cubic meters a year.

Touching on Iran and Turkey’s differences about the Syrian crisis, Zarif said that the two countries, however, share common views about the issue.

Tehran and Ankara put their weight behind a diplomatic solution for the crisis, end of violence, the Syrian nation’s right to self-determination and Syria’s territorial integrity while reiterating that extremist groups mustn’t grow strong and gain a foothold in Syria, Zarif said.

Since the turmoil broke out in Syria in 2011, some 130,000 people have reportedly been killed and millions of others displaced due to the crisis.

By Press TV

 

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