Thursday, July 9, 2015

Kerry says prepared to ‘call end’ to Iran talks

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned on Thursday that Washington will not wait “forever” and that he was prepared to “call an end” to nuclear talks with Iran if “tough decisions” are not made.

“If the tough decisions don’t get made, we are absolutely prepared to call an end to this process,” Kerry told reporters in Vienna, saying that the talks were not “open-ended” but that he would not be “rushed” into a deal.

Two deadlines to reach an accord have already been missed in the talks which have stretched into their 13th day. U.S. lawmakers have also set a midnight Washington deadline to be given a copy of any text to review.

Kerry warned: “We are not going to sit at the negotiating table forever. We also recognize that we shouldn’t get up and leave simply because the clock strikes midnight.”

The negotiating teams were focused on the quality of the deal, Kerry insisted, adding “it would have to stand the test of time.”

However, he insisted “we’re making real progress toward a comprehensive deal” to curtail Iran’s nuclear program.

Despite progress “some of the tough issues remain unresolved,” he told reporters outside the luxury hotel in Vienna where the talks are being held.

Warning that “difficult decisions don't become easier over time,” the top U.S. diplomat added: “One way or the other those decisions must be taken very soon.”

The U.S. delegation and their counterparts will “continue to push through on the tough issues and ultimately see whether or not the good deal that we have been working for so hard is possible to achieve.”

The White House on Thursday also said Iran talks can continue as long as there is genuine commitment from Iran, p5+1 partners to resolve issues.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday Iran and the major powers were working hard to reach a nuclear deal, but would not be rushed.

“We’re working hard, but not rushed to get the job done,” he said on his twitter account.

For France’s foreign minister, nuclear talks between Iran and major powers remain beset with problems but are going in the right direction.

“Things are however going in the right directions. Under the circumstances I have decided to stay tonight and tomorrow,” Laurent Fabius told reporters in Vienna.

“I hope that we are going to manage the final meters but there is still work to do. In a marathon the final 100 meters are the hardest... I repeat that there are good things but that difficult issues remain to be resolved,” he told reporters.

The deal curbing Iran’s nuclear program has to be presented to U.S. lawmakers by early morning Friday Vienna time, otherwise the approval process becomes longer and riskier.
(alarabiya.net With agencies)

9/7/15
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2 comments:

  1. US President Barack Obama has been updated frequently this week on international negotiations in Vienna on Iran's nuclear program, as the talks threatened to go past a deadline toward reaching a final agreement, a White House spokesman said on Thursday...

    He spoke with the negotiating team for about 90 minutes on Wednesday night, and then was updated Thursday morning on the status of the talks, according to White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
    jpost.com by Reuters

    ReplyDelete
  2. US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that America and other major powers are not in a rush to reach a nuclear agreement with Iran...

    But he warned that the so-called P5+1 (US, UN, Russia, UK, France and Germany) would not wait indefinitely.

    The pace at which sanctions are lifted is a major issue at talks in Vienna.

    Pressure is mounting on world powers and Iran to reach a deal on its nuclear programme and avoid the issue becoming bogged down in the US Congress.

    "We're here because we believe we are making real progress," Mr Kerry told reporters in the Austrian capital, Vienna.....BBC

    ReplyDelete

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