GENEVA: Iran and six world powers are making progress in negotiations aimed at ending a decade-long stand-off over its nuclear ambitions but the discussions are “tough”, Tehran’s foreign minister said yesterday.
Mohammad Javad Zarif made the comment after a first session in the two-day talks in Geneva that seek to build on a diplomatic opening from Tehran after the June election of Hassan Rowhani, a relative moderate, as president.
The powers hope to reach a “first step” deal to allay concerns about Tehran’s nuclear programme — which the West fears may be aimed at developing a nuclear weapons capability — though both sides say a breakthrough is far from certain.
Iran says it is enriching uranium solely for peaceful nuclear energy and wants the powers to start lifting harsh sanctions severely damaging the OPEC producer’s economy.
Both sides have limited leeway for compromise, with hardliners in Iran and in Washington likely to denounce any concession they regard as going too far.
“The talks went well,” Zarif said after the morning session between Iran, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China. “I’m hopeful that we can move forward. We are making progress, but it’s tough.”
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said he hoped a deal could be struck but that the sides remained far apart.
“The differences are widespread and deep. This is undeniable. And continuing the negotiations will not be an easy task, but this does not cause us to lose hope,” he said, and he remained hopeful a “final understanding” could be reached.
A spokesman for European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who is coordinating talks with Iran on behalf of the powers, described the morning session as “good” but declined to give details.
Michael Mann said discussions would continue in smaller groups in the afternoon before Ashton and Zarif, who had a breakfast meeting, were due to meet again.
“The talks are extremely complex and they are now getting into a serious phase. We very much hope there will be concrete progress here in the next couple of days,” he told reporters.
The United States and its allies say they are encouraged by Tehran’s shift to conciliatory rhetoric since the election of Rowhani. After years of deepening hostility that raised fears of another Middle East war, Rowhani has promised to try to repair ties with the West and secure relief from sanctions.
But the Western allies say Iran must back its words with action and take concrete steps to scale back its atomic work.
“What we’re looking for is a first phase, a first step, an initial understanding that stops Iran’s nuclear programme from moving forward and rolls it back for the first time in decades,” a senior US official said on the eve of the talks.
That would help buy time needed for the Islamic Republic and the powers to reach a broader diplomatic settlement and avert any descent into another Middle East conflagration that would destabilise the global economy.
REUTERS
