'Still Very Significant Gap' in Iran Talks: Britain

Fri Nov 21, 2014 18:50:09

There is still a "very significant gap" in nuclear talks between Iran and world powers, Britain's foreign secretary said Friday before leaving intense talks underway three days before a deadline for a deal.

“There was a series of useful discussions.... There is still a significant gap between the parties," Philip Hammond told reporters as he left Vienna.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius joined the last-minute nuclear talks with Iran on Friday in Vienna.

Earlier in the day in Vienna Zarif met French and British FMs. The leaders want to overcome deep differences over iran’s cicilian atomic activities.

Fabius said Iran has the right to civilian nuclear energy. Hammond, in turn, said he is prepared to show flexibility in return for more flexibility from the Iranian side.

"I'm here to look for a good agreement which could be useful for security and peace. The French position is known and it is in accordance with the international community - Iran has the right to civilian nuclear energy, Laurent Fabius, French Foreign Minister said.

"I'm not going into the details but there has been positive discussions, there's a very cordial atmosphere. It's clear that both sides want to try to get a deal done but none of us want to do a bad deal and we're very clear that we have to get more flexibility from the Iranians, in return we are prepared to show some flexibility on our side. Time is short, we're up against a deadline here and I think we are all working very hard to get the best possible deal on the table”, Philip Hammond, British Foreign Secretary said.

The leaders face a Monday deadline for a deal on Iranian civilian nuclear projects.

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