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Iran nuclear deal

Moscow has no understanding when sides will resume Iranian nuclear deal — senior diplomat

"So far there is no understanding of when and how well the sides are moving forward to achieve agreements," Sergey Ryabkov said

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Negotiations over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) have not led to any understanding when the Iran nuclear deal will resume, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Thursday.

"So far there is no understanding of when and how well the sides are moving forward to achieve agreements. It is clear that much time has been lost. There is a necessity to find a mutual understanding on a number of issues inherited from the previous six rounds, but, in addition, the situation has altered a lot since June, and in terms of the progress made by Iran in developing its own nuclear program. That is the context that cannot be ignored. It’s necessary to focus on negotiations," he said responding to a question of when the ministerial meeting on the JCPOA can be held.

According to the senior diplomat, when negotiations "pick up the pace, and there is a feeling that the final agreement is within the reach," then the sides will be able to discuss both ministerial contacts and formats in which the deal can be issued. "At present, no one does it. Neither among the negotiators in Vienna, nor in the capitals," Ryabkov concluded.

The seventh round of talks on the Iranian nuclear deal and the lifting of US sanctions started on November 29 and was suspended on December 3, when European representatives returned to their countries for additional consultations before continuing the dialogue. On Thursday, another round took place in Vienna. During the Vienna talks, Tehran presented the draft agreement on restoration of the Nuclear Deal, comprised of two components: the withdrawal of US sanctions and the matters of the Iranian nuclear program. The US delegation does not participate in talks directly with Iran and in Joint Commission meetings, but is present in Vienna for separate consultations with other members of the Iran Nuclear Deal.

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