Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi came out of a third round of meetings on restoring the JCPOA in Vienna hinting that an agreement to restore the deal is getting closer. “I can say that the discussions have reached maturity, both on the issues that are contentious and the issues over which there is agreement,” he told reporters yesterday afternoon following the meeting, reported PressTV. The delegations are returning to their respective capitals for consultations but expect to reconvene in Vienna next Friday, May 7.
Araqchi explained that although it is not predictable when and how the two sides can reach an agreement on the full restoration of the 2015 pact, “the format of any agreement will be definitely in accordance with the [Iranian] establishment’s positions.” He said the two sides are currently drafting texts over certain issues that they agreed upon. “This is where things move ahead very slowly because drafting a text needs precision…” the senior diplomat went on. “We will negotiate until the two sides’ positions come closer and our demands are met,” he said. “If they are met there will be an agreement, if not there will naturally be no agreement,” he said, reported Reuters.
Russian Ambassador to international organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov, the Russian representative at the talks, expressed confidence that the talks will lead to a resolution. “We need simply to continue diplomatic, day-to-day work, and we have all the reasons to expect that the outcome, final outcome, will be successful and it will come quite soon, in a few weeks,” he said. “At which stage the Vienna talks on #JCPOA restoration are? It’s to early [sic] to be excited, but we have reasons for cautious and growing optimism,” Ulyanov said on Twitter later. “There is no deadline, but participants aim at successful completion of the talks in approximately 3 weeks. Is it realistic? We will see.”
Senior European diplomats, not named but likely from the E3, seem to have been less optimistic about the progress of the talks, saying that “We have much work, and little time left. Against that background, we would have hoped for more progress this week,” the diplomats said, according to Reuters. “We have yet to come to an understanding on the most critical points. Success is by no means guaranteed, but not impossible.”
National Security Adviser Jake Sulivan, asked about the talks, said they were “in an unclear place. We’ve seen willingness on all sides … but it is still uncertain as to whether this will culminate in a deal.”
