Macron stresses need to 'accelerate' talks in Vienna

Macron's call with Raeisi on Saturday came a day after the EU mediator said the latest negotiating round in Vienna had been put on pause while calling for "political decisions" to achieve results, Barron's reported.

"The president has reiterated his conviction that a diplomatic solution is possible and imperative and stressed that any agreement will require clear and sufficient commitment from all the parties," the French presidency said in a statement.

"Several months after negotiations resumed in Vienna, (Macron) insisted on the need to accelerate in order to quickly achieve tangible progress in this context," it said.

Without referring to the non-commitment of the European Troika toward the JCPOA, and Trump's withdrawal from the deal, Macron stressed "the need for Iran to show a constructive approach and return to the complete application of its obligations".

This comes as Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi told Macron that "sanction removal, verifiability, and credible guarantees" are the threefold foundations of a potential agreement between Iran and the P4+1 group of states.

Referring to the US recognition of the failure of the policy of maximum pressure, Raeisi stressed, "The Islamic Republic of Iran has shown its will and seriousness to reach an agreement in the negotiation process, and any effort by the other side in this regard should include the lifting of sanctions, verification, and valid guarantee”.

RHM/PR