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Zarif: A Balanced Nuclear Deal Needed

Zarif: A Balanced Nuclear Deal Needed
folder_openIran access_time9 years ago
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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed that Tehran and the P5+1 group need to reach a "balanced" nuclear deal to make sure it will remain a "lasting" agreement.

Zarif: A Balanced Nuclear Deal Needed In an interview with the CNN published on Thursday, Zarif said the six states - the US, France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany - have yet to "come up with more serious ways of addressing" Tehran's concerns before the two sides can ink a permanent accord on Iran's nuclear energy program.

He explained that Iran's concerns are not merely confined to the US-led bans on the country, but also include a number of other issues adopted in November's interim deal such as "technical cooperation" in the field of nuclear energy and "cooperation to provide Iran access to international energy market."
"This needs to be a balanced deal in order [for it] to be lasting deal, this cannot be an imposition," the top Iranian diplomat said.

The Iranian foreign minister further said the United States has not achieved anything by imposing "draconian" sanctions on Iran, which, he added, have engendered "a lot of resentment" among Iranians.
Zarif further emphasized the need for a "paradigm shift" within the US Congress, which has on numerous occasions backed the tightening of anti-Iran bans, adding that the "time for pressure and exclusion is gone."

Commenting on the possibility of extending the July 20 deadline for drafting a final nuclear accord, Zarif said Tehran and the six states are currently discussing the "technicalities" of the issue, adding that the two sides also need to make "a political decision" whether they "have enough to warrant an extension."

"I think we have made enough serious discussion for us to think about the feasibility of continuing these discussions," added the Iranian foreign minister.
Iran and its negotiating partners are currently in talks to thrash out their differences and achieve a permanent comprehensive agreement to end the decade-old dispute over Tehran's civilian nuclear work.

The two sides sealed an interim deal in Geneva, Switzerland, last November.
Zarif has said If Tehran and its negotiating partners agree to the extension of nuclear negotiations, the discussions will continue until November 24 as stipulated in last year's interim deal, dubbed the "Joint Plan of Action."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team