Russia says all parties recognize progress in nuclear talks

“Now all the participants in the Vienna Talks recognize that some progress is being made towards an agreement on restoration of JCPOA and sanctions lifting,” Russia’s Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov, who heads the Russian delegation at the talks, wrote on Twitter.

“However persistent additional efforts are necessary to achieve this goal,” he added.

Ulyanov has recently stated that progress in Vienna talks is visible and main stumbling blocks are becoming clearer.

On Friday, French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said progress has been made regarding the nuclear negotiations in Vienna although time is running out.

“I remain convinced we can reach a deal. But time is running out,” Le Drian told BFM TV and RMC Radio.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price has also noted those nuclear deal talks with Iran in Vienna had shown modest progress, and that Washington hopes to build on the progress that had been made.

The eighth round of talks kicked off in Vienna on December 27. The negotiations seek to restore the JCPOA in its original form and bring the US back into the agreement.

Iran insists that the talks must lead to the removal of all American sanctions that were imposed against Tehran following Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from the landmark agreement in May 2018. Tehran has also demanded credible guarantees that Washington will not abandon the deal again.