Fifth Round of Iran-Powers Talks Ends, Next Round in Vienna in Early July

“Iran and G5+1 will start their next round of talks in Vienna on July 2,” an Iranian diplomat told FNA in Vienna on Friday.

The diplomat said the talks “are making good progress” as the two sides are “writing the draft of the deal”.

As both Iran and the six world powers described the trend of the talks as “positive”, a member of the Iranian delegation told FNA on Friday that negotiators are not yet through with “drafting the introduction to the comprehensive deal”.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his accompanying team of negotiators arrived in Vienna Monday morning to participate in the fifth round of talks between Tehran and the six major world powers in the Austrian capital from June 16-20.

Iran and the world powers have said that they are resolved to start drafting a long-awaited final deal in this round of talks.

The six powers present in Vienna to conduct another round of talks with Iran on its nuclear program started internal talks after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherin Ashton ended another round of bilateral negotiations on Thursday.

The meeting between Zarif and Ashton which lasted for two and a half hours focused on drafting a final nuclear deal.

After the two officials ended their bilateral talks, internal negotiations among the members of the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) kicked off. Also the Iranian team of negotiators went for internal consultations.

Zarif announced on Wednesday night that Tehran and the world powers started drafting the long-awaited final deal, criticizing the other side for adopting unacceptable positions which make the negotiations difficult.

Iran and the G5+1 have started writing the text of a final agreement, Zarif said.

Noting that the two sides had tough discussions over the past two days of talks in Vienna, he said, “Some stances of the other side are completely unacceptable.”

On Wednesday, deputy chief negotiators from Iran and the six world powers (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) wrapped up their second day of talks in Vienna earlier today.