Dubai: Iran’s foreign minister Sunday urged the world powers to avoid “troublemaking” issues as expert-level talks continue over its contested nuclear programme.
Mohammad Javad Zarif made the comment in a joint news conference with Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino. He also expressed hope the talks will conclude “sooner or later,” though he said the current expert-level talks in Geneva are “slowly” moving forward.
“I hope all sides will avoid delving into issues that could become troublesome and complicate the process,” Zarif said, without elaborating, in a joint news conference with visiting Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino.
Also Sunday, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told state television from Geneva that the talks have faced trouble. He said there are “incorrect interpretations” in settling a protocol to implement the deal. He suggested there might need to be a “pause in the talks”.
“Priorities should be decided to make it clear what actions should be first and what should be done later,” Araqchi said. “But the principle of simultaneous actions by both sides is a main dominant standard in the talks.”
In November, Iran agreed to cap its uranium enrichment in return for the West easing sanctions. The West fears Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes like power generation and medical research. Zarif was expected to talk Sunday with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton over “serious differences” on how to implement a landmark nuclear deal, media reports said.
Zarif said he was scheduled to speak to Ashton later Sunday by phone, the ISNA news agency reported, adding: “The talks on implementing the accord are not easy. They are progressing, but slowly.”
His deputy and chief negotiator Abbas Araqchi told ISNA the phone call “will be on serious differences of opinion over the implementation of the deal”.
Neither Araqchi nor Zarif gave any other details.
Nearly a month ago in Geneva, Iran and world powers reached a deal that is meant to buy time for a diplomatic solution to a decade-long stand-off over Tehran’s controversial nuclear ambitions.
Under the accord, Iran agreed to roll back or freeze parts of its nuclear drive for six months in exchange for modest sanctions relief and a promise by Western powers not to impose new sanctions.
The technical talks in Geneva are on setting out a framework and timeline for implementing the deal.
Western powers suspect Iran’s nuclear activities mask military objectives, despite repeated denials in Tehran that they are entirely peaceful.
