Nuclear Deal Drafting Process Laborious, Slow: Iranian Negotiator

(Tasnim) – A senior Iranian negotiator said the process of drafting the text of a comprehensive nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers has proved a difficult job that makes slow progress, noting that drafting began with the priority given to the issue of anti-Iran sanctions.

Speaking to reporters in the Austrian capital of Vienna on Friday evening, Iran’s deputy foreign minister and top negotiator, Abbas Araqchi, pointed to three “intensive days” of talks that first defined the framework of what has to be done, and then continued with drafting the text of an accord, beginning with the issue of sanctions.

Araqchi once again made it clear that any final deal should have the entire economic anti-Iran sanction terminated on the day it takes effect.

Also in an interview with Press TV on Friday, Araqchi said that the US negotiating delegation gave the Iranian nuclear team “very useful” explanations regarding the removal of anti-Iran sanctions.

“Some remarks by officials in the US created lots of question marks, and also the act by the Congress to introduce a new bill …(which) actually added to this complicated situation. We had very good discussions specially with the US delegation asking them to clarify their position regarding sanctions, to clarify what is going on in the Congress and I think the explanations by the US delegation was very useful,” he said.

Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany)  are in talks to hammer out a lasting accord that would end more than a decade of impasse over Tehran's peaceful nuclear energy program.

On April 2, the two sides reached a framework nuclear agreement after more than a week of intensive negotiations in Lausanne, Switzerland, with both sides committed to push for a final deal until the end of June.

The next round of talks will be held in New York on the sidelines of the sessions of the United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC).