Positive developments in Vienna talks not quite satisfactory

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a phone call with the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell on Saturday.

Thanking the efforts made by Borrell and his deputy, Enrique Mora, for the coordination of the talks, Amir-Abdollahian said, “Since the last round of negotiations, positive developments have taken place in the Vienna talks, but they still fall short of meeting our expectations.”

Amir-Abdollahian said Iran was "resolutely and clearly" pursuing the conclusion of a "good agreement" with the other side in Vienna, but "at the same time we insist on guarding our own redlines and national interests with the same level of determination."

Unfortunately, due to the sanctions, the 2015 deal has fallen short of meeting Iran's economic interests over the past years, he added, insisting that a good agreement was an agreement that would secure Iran's economic interests "in a sustainable and reliable" manner.

The Iranian foreign minister, meanwhile, said the country is determined to achieve a good agreement and to that end, it will maintain "uninterrupted and close" contact with the European Union.

Borrell, for his part, acknowledged that the talks were going through "an important juncture."

He urged the concerned parties to come to the negotiating table "with a distinctive agenda" aimed at bringing about an agreement, and be ready for "taking political decisions."

Following his phone call with the Iranian foreign minister, Borrell in a tweet on Saturday night wrote, "Important call with @HAabdollahian ahead of the resumption of #JCPOA talks in Vienna next week. We need good faith efforts from all sides and a spirit of compromise to swiftly conclude the negotiations and go back to full implementation of the JCPOA."

Late in November last year, the participants in the talks aimed to revive JCPOA with world powers resumed the Vienna talks for the first time under Iran’s new president Ebrahim Raeisi. Since then, Iran has repeatedly emphasized that it seeks a “good agreement” in the Austrian capital.

The talks were launched last April over US President Joe Biden’s pledge to rejoin the JCPOA and rescind Trump’s “failed maximum pressure” campaign. Over a year into his presidency, Biden has failed to re-enter the 2015 deal. Instead, he has kept Trump’s sanctions in place while adding new ones as well.

On Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken restored several sanctions waivers related to the JCPOA.

The so-called “civ-nuke” waivers were ended during the administration of former US President Donald Trump as part of his anti-Iran “maximum pressure” campaign.

ZZ/PressTV