On April 9, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and E.U. foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton reported that they had “substantive and detailed discussions” on a final nuclear agreement. “A lot of intensive work will be required to overcome the differences which naturally still exist at this stage in the process,” the two negotiators noted in their joint statement. A senior U.S. official said the talks gave its negotiators "additional insights into where the biggest and most challenging gaps will be." The next round of talks between Iran and the so-called P5+1 powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- is planned for May 13, 2014.
In a separate meeting in Oslo, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Yukiya Amano said that Tehran is cooperating with nuclear inspectors. The following are excerpted remarks by top leaders on the latest round of Vienna talks and implementation of the interim nuclear deal.
Joint statement by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
Minister Zarif and I, together with the Political Directors of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, just finished a third round of talks in our ongoing diplomatic effort to seek a Comprehensive Agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue as envisaged in the Joint Plan of Action.
We would again like to thank the Austrian Foreign Minister and his staff as well as the United Nations for their support in hosting these negotiations in Vienna.
Following our meetings last month, and based on the framework for the negotiations established in February, we have now held substantive and detailed discussions covering all the issues which will need to be part of a Comprehensive Agreement.
A lot of intensive work will be required to overcome the differences which naturally still exist at this stage in the process.
We will now move to the next phase in the negotiations in which we will aim to bridge the gaps in all the key areas and work on the concrete elements of a possible Comprehensive Agreement.
Our next meeting will be in Vienna from 13 May 2014.
Background Briefing by Senior U.S. Administration Official
April 9, 2014
SENIOR U.S. ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: In the past two days, we have continued our substantive discussions about all of the issues that will have to be part of a comprehensive agreement – every single issue you can imagine. These sessions have been in-depth and the conversations have given us important additional insights into where the biggest and most challenging gaps will be as we move forward.
At this point, we don’t know if we’ll be successful in bridging those gaps, but we are certainly committed, as everyone in the room is, to trying. One thing to keep in mind as we reach this midway mark is that all sides have kept all of the commitments they made in the Joint Plan of Action. That’s given all of us more confidence as we negotiate this even tougher comprehensive agreement.
The next step in this process is to begin actually drafting text, which we have all said would happen after this round. This round and the last round was used to review all of the issues and understand each other’s positions at the beginning of this negotiation. I would caution everyone from thinking that a final agreement is imminent or that it will be easy. As we draft, I have no doubt this will be quite difficult at times. And as we’ve always been clear and as we said explicitly when we were negotiating the Joint Plan of Action – and it is even more so for the comprehensive agreement – we will not rush into a bad deal. We just won’t do it. No deal – as Secretary Kerry has said many times, as the President of the United States has said, no deal is better than a bad deal.
So now, we’ll move forward to begin drafting actual language. We’ll meet back here in Vienna at the political director level in May. As always, our experts and political directors will be working in the meantime on all of the technical issues that are a part of these talks. And we are all very focused on that special date, July 20th, because we believe that it should give us sufficient time to reach a comprehensive agreement if an agreement is indeed possible.
QUESTION: On the issue of the money that was released to the Iranians, the Iranians are having trouble getting their hands on it. Did this issue come up either in the talks or in your bilateral? How far are we into this? Is this close to a resolution? You said the two sides are sticking to their commitments under the Geneva agreement. Is this causing trouble within that context? Any information on that, I will be grateful. And secondly, on your bilateral, anything of interest?
SENIOR U.S. ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: On whether Iran has access to the repatriated funds that were part of our obligation under the Joint Plan of Action, we and the European Union on all of the sanctions-related obligations have done everything that we committed to doing. And I think if you ask the Iranians, they would say that we have complied with our obligations under the Joint Plan of Action.
And I know there have been stories written, there have been all kinds of issues. All of these things are always complicated to make happen, but we have made them happen. And so I think you will find – and part of the Joint Commission today was to check in on all of those issues. All the appropriate colleagues were there on both sides, and the report I just got out right before I walked in here is that everybody was grateful for the work that had been done on both sides and that everyone had complied with their obligations. The – everything that we were supposed to do and the tranches we were supposed to do it has been done.
As term – in terms of the bilateral, our bilateral was – as I’ve said to you now, it’s now normal. We met for about an hour and a half. We only talk about two things in the bilateral. One is nuclear negotiation. We make sure that Iran understands our perspective on all of the issues under discussion, and they’re able to tell us directly their views about our views. And the other thing we discuss and do so quite decidedly and in a focused way is our American citizens about which we are concerned – Mr. Hekmati, Pastor Abedini, and Robert Levinson – all of whom deserve to be home with their families.
QUESTION: [China’s] Minister Wang came out and said that this round of negotiations has gained considerable momentum. Would you agree with that assessment?
SENIOR U.S. ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: What I would say is that all of these rounds have been productive, have been constructive, have been thoughtful, have been professional. But what I would say is that now we have to get down to it. And then we will know whether we’re headed in a direction where we can get to a comprehensive agreement or not. We all want to. We all believe we can. But none of us know until we really get to the drafting and the text and the detail whether it’s possible or not.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
Continuation of dialogue to reach final accord heavy & collective responsibility. Most importantly, in line with interests of all sides.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) April 8, 2014
International Atomic Energy Agency Director Genearl Yukiya Amano
We are working on it [implementing the interim nuclear deal] and they [Iranians] are cooperative.
Our people in the safeguards department are having close contact with them. I can tell you, these measures are being implemented as planned.
The problem of Iran is assuring that declared activities and material are staying in peaceful purpose.