Representatives of Iran, the US and the EU have kicked off a trilateral meeting in the Omani capital, Muscat, to exchange views on the outstanding issues hindering a final deal on Tehran’s civilian nuclear work.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, US Secretary of State John Kerry and the EU representative, Catherine Ashton, met at Muscat’s Al Bustan Palace on Sunday morning to discuss the progress of the nuclear negotiations.
The senior diplomats are set to continue their discussions in an afternoon session.
Meanwhile, an informed Iranian official dismissed some media reports about the presence of Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in the talks.
In an exclusive interview with Press TV on his way to Muscat, Zarif said the illegal sanctions slapped on the country over its nuclear energy program have failed to meet the goals of those countries that imposed them.
The top Iranian diplomat said the removal of sanctions is a main theme of the Muscat talks, noting that the extent of Iran’s enrichment activities is another key topic in the negotiations.
Iran believes a final deal over its nuclear energy program can be reached if the other side has the political will to do so, Zarif added, saying his Sunday meeting with Kerry and Ashton will focus on bringing the viewpoints of both sides closer together.
Following the talks, Ashton is slated to chair a meeting of political directors from the P5+1 group – France, Britain, the US, Russia, China and Germany – in Muscat on Tuesday.
Last November, Iran and the P5+1 clinched an interim nuclear accord, which took effect on January 20 and expired six months later. However, they agreed to extend their talks until November 24 as they remained divided on a number of key issues.
