Russian negotiator: Highly unlikely Vienna talks to fail

Ulyanov said the talks are reaching the finish line and Iran and the P4+1 group of countries could reach a deal any moment.

He however noted that some remaining issues must be resolved. The Russian diplomat said,”You never know; the issues could be resolved tomorrow.”

The Russian diplomat then corrected his remarks, saying it is necessary to hold a meeting of the Joint Commission of the nuclear deal, JCPOA, after reaching a final agreement, but it can be held at any level.

“This is a long diplomatic process, so it is appropriate for the ministers to approve the final agreement,” he said, adding that although it is acceptable at the level of political managers, the political weight of ministers is greater.

Asked which side he thought should make the final decision, Ulyanov said both sides are right and they look at issues from their own perspectives.

This, he said, is normal in multilateral diplomacy. Meanwhile, responding to a question about Iran’s alleged possible military dimensions (pmd) case at the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Russian negotiator expressed the issue would be resolved soon and a statement would be issued.

The sanctions removal talks in Vienna began on December 27, 2021. Iran says 98 percent of the draft agreement with the P4+1 group is complete but the remaining 2 percent is vital for Tehran.

Tehran calls for the removal of all sanctions in a verifiable manner and giving necessary guarantees that the US will not again withdraw from the deal.