Progress possible in Vienna if all sides engage seriously: Baqeri-Kani

Iran’s chief negotiator has hinted at some progress in the ongoing talks between Tehran and the five other signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal in Vienna, saying discussions in the past few days show that “serious engagement” by all parties can help the negotiations move forward.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Ali Baqeri-Kani offered a brief report on the talks held earlier in the day in the Austrian capital on securing a removal of the US sanctions on Iran and a subsequent revitalization of the nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Baqeri-Kani said he had exchanged views with the heads of the delegations of the P4+1 states — France, Britain, Germany, China and Russia — and that of the European Union, while expert teams continued working on the texts, which center around the American sanctions and Iran’s nuclear commitments.

Both expert groups and lead negotiators are continuing talks “intensively,” he said. “The last few days showed if everyone engages seriously, progress is possible.”

Over the past days, however, Iran and Russia have complained about the unconstructive positions taken by the European parties in the course of the talks.

On Tuesday, Baqeri-Kani advised the Western parties involved in the negotiations to set aside “blame game” and engage in real diplomacy with Iran.

SS