VIENNA, November 19. /TASS/. Iran and the P5+1 group (five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) are “in half step” from solving Tehran’s nuclear problem, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday.
“There are no obstacles in the capitals to reach agreements, besides the possible existence or absence of corresponding decisions,” he said.
A decision on the arrival in Vienna by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will depend on if the parties succeed in finding a compromise and work out at least the base for the long term settlement and the framework, which will be then added by concrete elements, he said.
Ryabkov said Russia would not bring the P5+1-Iran talks to a ministerial level if no results are guaranteed.
“Our position is that we will not support such scheme at the current stage in order to stress the importance of the events and ensure the ministerial level without guarantees for achieving the result,” he said.
Now it is early to say the prerequisites for the arrival of Lavrov had been formed. “As for the completion of this round, it would be untimely and wrong to speculate at what level and when it is held.” “Not because we are not ready, but the decision will depend on if we succeed in finding a compromise,” Ryabkov said.
“If political decisions are taken, everything will be held. Then the question arises to increase the event’s level to ministerial,” he said.
“There is no possibility to say the Russian foreign minister will arrive here. Nothing has come up and it is unclear what it can do.” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s decision will not influence Russia’s position. “Probably, Berlin decided to run the case to the ministerial meeting irrespective the content,” Ryabkov said.
Last year the ministers’ arrival in Geneva did not help sign the agreement because the base was not created. “I don’t believe that the development of events facilitated the common success that is why now it is important to do the work that responds to the level of political directors,” he said.
“We can’t recommend the minister to involve in the talks without doing this work,” Ryabkov added.
Since the previous round of talks in Oman “nothing has changed it its essence”. “There are sanctions, enrichment, Arak, transparency and former military research. No progress has happened for a week,” he said.