Opening Iran nuclear talks end on optimistic note
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Iran and six world powers ended the opening round of nuclear talks in Vienna on an upbeat note yesterday, with both sides saying they had agreed on a plan for further negotiations meant to produce a comprehensive deal to set limits on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
In a joint statement, they said the next round of negotiations would begin, again in Vienna, on March 17, continuing a process likely to take at least six months and probably longer.
Expectations had been modest as the talks started on Tuesday, and the positive tone on a framework for future talks appeared aimed in part to encourage skeptics that the negotiations had a chance to succeed despite huge gaps between the Iranians and the six powers.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who came to the talks vowing Iran would never strip down its nuclear facilities, was smiling and relaxed as he read out the joint statement.
But in a message intended for skeptics at home who fear Iran will give up too much at the talks, he told state TV afterward that his nation would “not close down any site.”
The six want Tehran to agree to significant cuts in its nuclear program to reduce concerns it could be turned quickly to weapons use.
Iran opposes cuts, saying its program is not aimed at building weapons. The US and its partners say that Iran must come to an agreement if it wants a full end to sanctions.
“We have ... identified all of the issues we need to address for a comprehensive and final agreement,” said Catherine Ashton, the EU’s top diplomat who convened the talks between Iran and the six powers — the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.
“It won’t be easy, but we’ve gotten off to a good start,” she said in a statement read later in Farsi by Zarif.
A Western diplomat said Ashton would visit Tehran March 9-10 for preparatory talks.
From Baghdad, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow sensed that “all sides are interested in being serious and being pragmatic.”
The talks are designed to build on a first-step deal in effect since last month that commits Iran to initial nuclear curbs in return for some easing of sanctions.
The deal can be extended by mutual consent after six months. Both sides say any final deal will be tough to reach.
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