Zarif, Ashton Resume 90-minute Talk Parallel With Technical Talks

Vienna, June 18, IRNA – Bilateral diplomatic talks between Iranian foreign minister and EU foreign policy chief held simultaneously with Iran-5+1G technical and legal experts ended here an hour and a half after their beginning. Both the sextet-Iran technician and legal experts and the two sides’ top diplomats’ talks were held at the hotel residence of the seven countries’ delegations. The two parallel rounds of unofficial talks were another effort aimed at beginning drafting the final text of a comprehensive agreement after the Tuesday morning official negotiations for the same purpose. An Iranian diplomat told IRNA that the reason for holding these technical, diplomatic, and legal talks is achieving shared viewpoints on at least a couple of disputed issues between the two sides. “Even if agreement will be reached over one or two issues that will resemble the opening of a small window towards the drafting of the final comprehensive agreement and that will definitely affect the other issues positively,” said the Iranian diplomat on condition of anonymity. Before holding these two rounds of parallel talks, Michel Mann, the spokesman of the EU foreign policy, had said that the general atmosphere of the negotiations was constructive and positive, towards identifying the required factors for a comprehensive nuclear agreement. Catherine Ashton’s spokesman who was speaking with the press at the UN Headquarters in Vienna reiterated that throughout Monday and Tuesday Ms. Ashton and Mr. Zarif in various meetings exchanged viewpoints on achieving a comprehensive final agreement. “The Tuesday general meeting in the presence of the whole members of the negotiating delegations was held amid a positive, good atmosphere, and both sides very seriously and realistically put forth their viewpoints,” he added. Mann refrained from answering various question on whether the drafting of the final document had started, and just sufficed in saying that the negotiations were in line with achieving the required factors for reaching an agreement. The EU foreign policy spokesman said that various types of bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral talks were all pursuing the same objective of drafting the final document. The official Tuesday morning nuclear negotiations led by Zarif and Ashton at the UN European Headquarters took some two hours and the two sides one more time reviewed the entire disputed issues during their course. The previous round of talks was held from May 16-19 in Vienna and the two sides due to the existence of broad differences of opinion could not begin drafting the final text, or even taking part in a joint press conference at their end. A member of the Iranian delegation who spoke with IRNA in Vienna on condition of anonymity said that there are great chances that the drafting of the final comprehensive agreement between Iran and the 5+1G will begin on Tuesday. “Although the differences of opinion are still very great, but keeping in mind several rounds of bilateral and multilateral talks prior to the official negotiations in which the two sides quite clearly and frankly put forth their viewpoints and objectives, they are fully aware of each other’s stands,” he said. This member of the Iranian negotiation delegation referring to one of the differences of opinion said that the Americans believe lifting the sanctions is a very difficult and complicated process, while the Iranians asks for their full annihilation. Meanwhile, the top US diplomat, William Burns, left Vienna on Tuesday, according to IRNA./end