Political will exists in Vienna to reach concrete result: Russia's lead negotiator

Russia's ambassador to international organizations in Vienna says none of the parties to the ongoing talks in the Austrian capital on the removal of anti-Iran sanctions is trying to drag out negotiations and there is political will to reach a concrete result.

Mikhail Ulyanov made the remarks while speaking to reporters on Monday, as he answered to a question on the G7 summit’s call on Iran to take the process of negotiations seriously.

“There are no grounds to think that any of the parties to the talks on the restoration of the Iran nuclear deal is seeking to drag out the process or has no political will to reach a practical result,” the Russian diplomat said, referring to the 2015 agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Foreign ministers from the world's wealthiest nations held a two-day meeting in Liverpool, northwest England, in an attempt to present a strong, united front against global threats.

In their final communiqué, the G7 foreign ministers said Iran "must stop its nuclear escalation and seize the opportunity to conclude a deal, while this is still possible."

The JCPOA was abandoned by former US President Donald Trump in May 2018. Trump then targeted Iran’s economy with what he called a “maximum pressure” campaign, which failed to compel Iran to negotiate a “new deal.”

Iran and the five remaining parties to the JCPOA -- Germany, Britain, France, Russia and China -- began the talks in the Austrian capital in April with the aim of removing the sanctions after the US, under President Joe Biden, voiced its willingness to return to the agreement.

During the seventh round of the Vienna talks, the first under President Ebrahim Raeisi, Iran presented two draft texts which address, separately, the removal of US sanctions and Iran’s return to its nuclear commitments under the JCPOA. Tehran also said it was preparing a third draft text on the verification of the sanctions removal.

During his Monday remarks, Ulyanov added that there was no reason for anybody to think that any of the parties to the talks “is playing any kind of a game.”

“As a matter of fact, the political will exists [among all parties to Vienna talks] to reach a concrete result,” the Russian ambassador noted.

Ulyanov stressed that while Americans claim it is important to them to be sure that the Iranian nuclear program is under safe control, they are ignoring the fact that if that control has been weakened, it is because of Washington’s policy of maximal pressure and Tehran’s remedial steps.

"And it is important for the Iranians to have the sanctions lifted," he emphasized.

In an exclusive interview with Press TV on Sunday, Iran’s chief negotiator in Vienna talks Ali Bagheri Kani said the Iranian side has not received any constructive initiative or proposal from the opposite side during the ongoing negotiations in the Austrian capital.

He added that the removal of the illegal and cruel US sanctions and Iran’s nuclear activities are two main sticking points in the current talks over which there still remains a host of differences between the two sides.

Iran’s top negotiator: We received no initiative, proposal from other side in Vienna talks so far

Iran’s top negotiator says the Iranian delegation has so far received no initiative or proposal from the other side in Vienna talks.

“When it comes to these points of difference, we have so far received no proposal and initiative from the opposite side,” Bagheri Kani said.

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