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Iran nuclear deal

US readiness to return to original Iran nuclear deal pragmatic - Russia’s envoy

"Americans have shown a very responsible approach in this regard," Mikhail Ulyanov said

Russian Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Russian Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, March 5. /TASS/. The United States’ willingness to return to the original Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA, known as the Iran nuclear deal) is a pragmatic and right approach, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s Permanent Representative to International Organizations, including the IAEA, in Vienna, said in a televised interview on Rossiya-24 news channel on Friday.

"Americans have shown a very responsible approach in this regard. They are ready at this stage to discuss the return to what it was. It is rational, pragmatic and correct," he said.

According to Ulyanov, "the ambitions" of Iran and the US are alarming.

"In this situation, we see that either Tehran or Washington starts saying that the other side must make the first step. It is a road to nowhere. The only way to make progress is to synchronize practical steps so that nobody could assume they have lost face," he added.

The diplomat pointed out that the synchronization and a certain roadmap with step-by-step instructions were the only way to success.

Informal meeting

The current parties to the Iran nuclear deal and the United States are quite likely to hold an informal meeting, but certain issues should be clarified, Mikhail Ulyanov noted.

"It is obvious that they should start as soon as possible," he said when asked when talks on the US’ return to the Iran nuclear deal would begin.

"Perhaps, an informal meeting of the current parties to the deal and the United States is needed to start talks. In principle, it is quite likely, but some details need to be clarified, as the issue is very sensitive, especially for Iran," Ulyanov said.

According to the diplomat, it has become possible to focus on the diplomatic track. He estimated chances for negotiation as very high.

"We are witnessing a unique situation when there is unity of purpose, since both Iran and the United States want to come back to full implementation of the JCPoA," he said. "Now, the sequence of steps and their content should be negotiated. It is a solvable task with a common strategic goal," the diplomat added.

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