Iran hopeful agreement struck before deadline

A senior member of nuclear negotiating team expressed hope on May 12 that the Islamic Republic and P5+1 would strike a comprehensive deal before the set deadline.

'Despite all existing obstacles, we are hopeful about reaching a comprehensive agreement before the set time,' Abbas Araqchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister said, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Iranian nuclear team headed by Araqchi arrived in the Austrian capital on May 12 for the third round of talks with P5+1- the US, UK, France, Russia and China plus Germany.

There are different factors in and out of the negotiation room that can put obstacle to the talks, Araqchi said.

We are trying together to follow up the talks and deal with all those obstacles, he added.

About the nuclear talks in Vienna, Araqchi said Helga Schmid, the European Union foreign policy deputy chief, will participate in the negotiations on behalf of other states.

The experts from the two sides are present in the nuclear talks, said Araqchi, adding the deputy foreign ministers will join the negotiations on May 15. During all these days, Schmid consults with other countries.

On May 14, Iran will hold bilateral talks with the American and Chinese delegations, he added.

Araqchi further called bilateral meetings as a proper opportunity for making progress in the talks and removing the existing misunderstandings.

/By Trend/