Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif[/caption]Tehran, July 18, IRNA Nuclear talks between world powers and Iran are ?a historic opportunity for all of us to end a rather prolonged chapter where we tried not to resolve issues,? Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif told the CNN Thursday in Vienna.
A Sunday deadline is looming for negotiators to reach agreement on a comprehensive solution to the nuclear program and it now seems likely that that deadline will not be met and may have to be extended.
?I think we have made enough serious discussion for us to think about the feasibility of continuing these discussions,? Zarif told the CNN?s Christiane Amanpour. ?
I think Secretary Kerry made that recommendation, he said, adding, ?I, too, have made the recommendation.?
He said that the Iranian nuclear program will remain peaceful, as it has always meant to be adding that the anti-Iranian sanctions have achieved none of their pre-determined objectives.
Zarif said that he believed the amount and quality of the conducted serious nuclear talks have convinced him that the various sides could focus on the feasibility of their further continuation.
He said that that was both his US counterpart?s and his advice on the case.
Bilateral talks between Zarif and head of British delegation Simon Gas on issues related to extension of negotiations? period ended Thursday evening after a 45 minute exchange of ideas.
The bilateral meeting in Vienna?s Cobourg Hotel was held under such conditions that the news on possible extension of the negotiations? period beyond the July 20 deadline has both got more prevalent and more serious, and it is predicted that the two sides will come up with the required sum up by noon time, Friday.
In a similar bilateral meeting with the outgoing EU foreign policy director, Catherine Ashton, which took two hours earlier Thursday evening Zarif and Ashton discussed the same issue.
On this 16th day of the Vienna 6 nuclear negotiations the bilateral talks between the Iranian deputy foreign ministers Seyyed Abbas Araqchi, Majid Takht-e Ravanchi and the top US negotiator Wendy Sherman, too, was held aimed at further proximity of the two sides? stands.
The Iran-US talks on Thursday also included the negotiations at the level of the two countries? experts.
The Iranian foreign minister said after his 120 minute talks with Ashton that in order to achieve a shared mutual understanding between Iran and the Sextet the negotiation period will be extended and the ongoing talks and consultation between the two sides are on time schedule and the method of negotiating.
By IRNA
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