By Thomas Murphy
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
TEHRAN, Iran – World powers and Iran engaged in preliminary talks regarding Iran’s nuclear program on Tuesday and Wednesday. The sides described the talks as “substantive” and “forward-looking,” and will reconvene in early November.
Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, and Catherine Ashton, the foreign policy chief for the European Union, who is the lead negotiator with Iran issued a joint statement detailing the negotiations. The statement recognized Iran’s presentation of a plan designed to promote productive negotiations as an “important contribution.”
“The participants also agreed that E3+3 and Iranian nuclear, scientific and sanctions experts will convene before the next meeting to address differences and to develop practical steps,” the statement added.
“I’ve been doing this now for about two years, and I have never had such intense, detailed, straightforward, candid conversations with the Iranian delegation before,” said a senior Obama administration official.
“There is more work, much more work to do,” added the official, who declined to be identified under the diplomatic protocol for briefing reporters. “This is a beginning. Beginnings are rarely groundbreaking because you are putting pieces on the table.”
The meeting was the first between the six powers (United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany) since Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, took office in August. President Rouhani, seen as a moderate, has emphasized the importance of resolving international concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran has reiterated for years that it has no intention of creating a nuclear weapon, but it has not eased concerns of the international community. In fact, sanctions have made more severe over the last several years and as a result the Iranian rial lost an estimated 80 percent of its value against the US dollar between March 2012 and March 2013.
Despite positive responses to the negotiations, some difficult and challenging issues remain. Iran maintains that it has a right to enrich uranium and conversely, the U.N. Security Council wants the enrichment program to stop completely. Meanwhile, Iran would like to see Western powers take a “balanced” approach to easing sanctions, suggesting that each side make concessions throughout the process. Western officials have balked at this proposal and want to maintain sanctions until their demands are met.
For further information, please see:
BBC – Iran nuclear checks most detailed ever – Ashton – 16 October 2013
EU – Joint Statement – 16 October 2013
New York Times – After Talks on Iran’s Nuclear Program, Officials Highlight the Positive – 16 October 2013
Reuters – U.S. says talks intense, serious after Iran hints at atomic concessions – 16 October 2013
Al Jazeera – Iran and world powers begin nuclear talks – 15 October 2013
