Iran, P5+1 Extend Joint Plan of Action to July 1, 2015

Press TV reports from Vienna that the nuclear talks between Iran and the so-called P5+1 group of countries have ended with the two sides agreeing to extend the Joint Plan of Action to July 1, 2015.

US Secretary of State John Kerry had earlier told his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif that the two sides needed to consider extending nuclear talks.

Washington's offer of post-deadline talks, published by US media, was made in bilateral talks between the top Iranian and American diplomats and endorsed during Monday's meeting between the seven countries' top diplomats.

Meanwhile, Press TV has learned that major gaps still remain as both sides step up their diplomatic efforts in the next weeks.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said fresh round of negotiations on Iran's nuclear program will resume in December.

Hammond made the remarks on Monday after an agreement between Iran and the six world powers to extend the nuclear talks to July 1, 2015.

“There will be no pause, we will have meetings through December, we are determined to get to the outline of an agreement within the next three months and then spend the remaining period of the extension working out the precise detail and the technical schedules that would have to be done anyway," he said.

Hammond expressed regret over the fact that the two sides did not reach a final agreement before the deadline, but hailed the significant progress the parties made in the latest round of negotiations.

“Well it's a disappointment failing to meet the Monday deadline but as you say, there has been momentum and there has been good will on both sides and the atmospherics are positive,” he said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said Iran has lived up to its commitments based on the Geneva nuclear deal with the six world powers, but noted that the anti-Tehran sanctions will remain in place.

Speaking at a Monday press conference in Vienna after the last round of nuclear negotiations, Kerry pointed to criticism of the Joint Plan of Action (JPOA), signed between Iran and the P5+1 last November, noting, “The interim agreement wasn’t violated. Iran has held up its end of the bargain, and the sanctions regime has remained intact.”

“We want the people of Iran to get the economic relief that they seek and to be able to rejoin the international community. We want to terminate the sanctions. Yes, we want to terminate the sanctions,” the secretary of state said.

“Today, Iran has no 20-percent enriched uranium; zero; none; and they have diluted and converted every ounce that they have and suspended all uranium enrichment above five percent,” Kerry said, adding, “Today, IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) inspectors have daily access to Iran’s enrichment activities and a far deeper understanding of Iran’s program.”

“That is how you build trust and that is how Iran made the decision to do it,” Kerry said, pointing out that the IAEA inspectors “have been able to verify that Iran is indeed living up to its JPOA commitments.”

He lauded the achievements made in the course of latest round of nuclear negotiations, saying, “In these last days in Vienna, we have made real and substantial progress and we have seen new ideas surface.”

“Progress was indeed made on some of the most vexing challenges that we face and we now see the path toward potentially resolving some issues that had been intractable,” the top US diplomat noted, adding, “We believe a comprehensive deal that addresses the world’s concerns is possible. It is desirable.”

He also praised the efforts by all the parties engaged in the talks, including the efforts devoted by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, saying, “The Iranian foreign minister has worked hard and he has worked diligently, has approached these negotiations in good faith and…that is what it takes to try to resolve the kind of difficult issues here.”

“We are jointly – the P5+1 six nations and Iran – extending these talks for seven months with a very specific goal of finishing the political agreement within four months.… At the end of four months, if we have not agreed on the major elements by that point in time – and there is no clear path – we can revisit [to see] how we then want to choose to proceed,” Kerry said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also stressed that the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 should lead to the recognition of the Islamic Republic’s right to the enrichment of uranium for peaceful purposes on Iranian soil.

President Putin made the remark in a telephone conversation with Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Monday.

During the conversation, both leaders discussed the developments regarding the recent nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 states – Russia, China, Britain, France, the US and Germany.

During the Monday phone conversation, the Russian president said that, during the Vienna talks, the two sides had little time to strike a deal.

Rouhani, for his part, hailed Moscow’s active role in the Vienna negotiations, expressing hope that a comprehensive agreement would soon be clinched with Russia’s help.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also said Beijing remains “optimistic” that Iran and the P5+1 can reach a final agreement over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear energy program.

“China holds an optimistic attitude toward the talks on Iran’s nuclear program. We believe we can reach the goal of solving the issue peacefully through joint efforts,” Wang said on Monday.

The top Chinese negotiator said that his country “made positive and constructive suggestions” during the Vienna talks.

“We worked on topics where consensuses were likely to be made, and provided a clear vision of a possible resolution to serve as an important guideline and reference for the negotiations. China’s idea was welcomed and drew attention from both parties, who said the idea has been very useful,” said Wang.

He also said that the parties to the talks made positive comments regarding the progress made in recent negotiations, saying that the ground had been prepared for a comprehensive final deal.

Russia said considerable progress was made on all issues during the latest round of nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group, expressing hope that the two sides would soon reach a final agreement.

“What is important and worth mentioning is that the sides attained rapprochement on absolutely all issues. This is not an exaggeration, because officials in different capitals say considerable progress was made,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told journalists on Tuesday.

Ryabkov said the two negotiating sides were so close to reaching a deal over Iran’s nuclear program.

“The sides were a footstep or even half of a footstep away from reaching agreements,” he said.

Russia’s chief negotiator said differences remained over technical issues, but expressed hope that the extension of talks for seven more months would finally end in an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear work.

He also said that Russia would do its utmost to help conclude a deal.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also said Iran has complied with an interim agreement it reached with the P5+1 group of world powers on its nuclear program last November.

The IAEA issued a positive report on Monday hours after Iran and the P5+1 ended breathtaking negotiations in the Austrian capital, Vienna, and agreed to extend the Joint Plan of Action to July 1, 2015, in order to reach a comprehensive deal on Tehran's nuclear program.

The UN nuclear agency’s confidential report, obtained by Reuters, said Iran has lowered the stockpile of low-enriched uranium gas and taken other action as part of a series of moves agreed under the terms of the preliminary agreement.

Source: Press TVhttp://www.presstv.ir/

*Photo Credit: Fars News Agency, Press TV