Nuclear negotiators from Iran and the United States have held a one-on-one meeting for consultation over the draft of a final accord.
Abbas Araqchi, who is also Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, started talks with US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns in the Austrian capital, Vienna, on Friday, IRNA reported.
The meeting was reportedly held at Palais Coburg in the Austrian capital, where Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China – plus Germany formally kicked off the sixth round of nuclear talks on Thursday to discuss a permanent accord.
Negotiators from Iran and the US have since held three closed-door meetings at different levels.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Friday, “One feels political will of the participants, and a certain fear that we may not be quick enough - that is a good sign in this situation. There is not much time left. But there are chances.”
Iran and the six countries have been discussing ways to iron out differences to achieve a final deal that would end the decade-old dispute over Tehran’s nuclear energy program.
The two sides inked an interim accord in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 23, 2013. Under the deal, the six countries agreed to provide Iran with some sanctions relief in exchange for Tehran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities during a six-month period. The deal came into force in January and expires on July 20 but can be extended depending on the agreement of all parties involved.
By Press TV
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