The European Union's (EU) top diplomat envisions a possible agreement in Vienna in "a matter of days" after eleven months of talks.
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"We are very close but there are still several outstanding issues," EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell told reporters on Saturday. The statement was made on the sidelines of the Doha Forum in Qatar, referring to the ongoing talks in Vienna (Austria) aimed at revitalizing the nuclear deal signed in 2015.
Borrell has been very optimistic about the possibility of reaching an agreement, but assured that he cannot say what the outcome would be. "I can't say when or how, but it's a matter of days," he noted.
His words came as the deputy secretary general of the European External Action Service, Enrique Mora, in charge of overseeing the Vienna talks, traveled to Tehran to meet with Iranian authorities in the hope of concluding the talks and reaching an agreement.
Iran and the 4+1 Group (United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, and Germany) have held eight rounds of negotiations in Vienna since April 2021, with the aim of reviving the Iranian nuclear deal, officially named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
For Iran, Dr Kharrazi says a new deal is close but that it depends on the political will of the US. But he points out that even before the US withdrew from the #JCPOA, Iran was unable to enjoy any benefits from it because of US sanctions. So the past is relevant.#dohaforum pic.twitter.com/ACaT1Ktx6G
— Ayo Obe (@naijama) March 27, 2022
The United States is participating in the talks indirectly because, since its unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA in May 2018, it is no longer a current member of the pact.
Iranian authorities have already repeatedly made it clear that what matters to them is the effective lifting of sanctions and the normalization of trade and economic relations with Iran, and that any agreement must cover Iran's demands in this regard.
For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Hosein Amir Abdolahian said on Saturday that the parties are close to reaching an agreement in Vienna. However, he made it clear that an alleged agreement "will not go beyond" the JCPOA, assuring that reaching a deal depends on Washington´s good faith and realistic approach.