Russia: Nuclear talks at final stage, determination required

“After a short break the Vienna Talks will resume tomorrow,” Russia’s chief negotiator Mikhail Ulyanov wrote on Twitter on Monday.

“Negotiations seem to be at the final stage which requires determination and energetic efforts from all participants to get to the destination point, i.e. full restoration of JCPOA, including sanctions lifting,” he added.

European Union deputy foreign policy chief Enrique Mora has also said nuclear talks will resume Tuesday in Vienna, and there is a need to swiftly conclude the negotiations.

“The 8th round of Vienna talks will resume tomorrow in Vienna. We need spirit of compromise to take us back to full implementation. In view of different undesirable trends undermining the JCPOA, there is a need to swiftly conclude these negotiations,” he wrote on Twitter on Monday.

Earlier, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani rejected any agreement with the P4+1 in Vienna that does not lead to the removal of anti-Tehran sanctions.

“The agenda of the Iranian negotiators for the continuation of the eighth round the [Vienna] talk has been carefully laid out,” Shamkhani said in a tweet.

“An agreement under which, the maximum pressure campaign [of the US] is not ended will make the economy of the country conditional, and cannot be the basis for a good agreement,” he added.

Over the past days, negotiators have been preparing a draft agreement and reviewing outstanding issues. Almost all parties involved in the discussions say they are complicated but moving forward. 

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh has also stated Tehran is waiting for Washington to change its behavior in practice.

Speaking at his weekly press briefing on Monday, the spokesperson stressed that all statements about positive talks must now translate into action.

Khatibzadeh noted that Iran is after a good and reliable deal in Vienna and the US must pay the price for violating the Iran nuclear deal and UN Security Council Resolution 2231. 

He urged the European parties to the talks to end their inaction regarding the US violations.