Russia's Lavrov in Vienna for Nuclear Talks

Russia's Lavrov in Vienna for Nuclear Talks
Sun Nov 23, 2014 20:23:20

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Vienna on Sunday, RIA Novosti reported, to join troubled nuclear talks with Iran less than 36 hours before a deadline for a deal.

Lavrov, a crucial player in the negotiations, was set to join US Secretary of State John Kerry and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The British and French foreign ministers were due in Vienna later Sunday, while their Chinese colleague was expected by Monday.

Later Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal arrived in Vienna Sunday afternoon for talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry as negotiations over Iran's nuclear program has come to their most critical hours.

Iran foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry are expected to hold two-party meeting on nuclear dispute. This meeting takes place an hour after the meeting of the Saudi foreign minister with Kerry.

Sunday afternoon the fifth meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, US Secretary of State John Kerry and EU coordinator Catherine Ashton finished.

They hold two hours of intensive negotiations and they will proceed with talks within hours.The foreign ministers since the latest round of nuclear negotiations began six days ago.

It seems that all the parties involved in the negotiation are making every effort to sign a comprehensive agreement in the run-up to November 24 deadline.

Although as PRESS TV report according to an Iranian diplomatic source that the extension of Tehran’s nuclear talks with six major world powers beyond the Monday deadline is not on the agenda of Vienna discussions, AP reporting on possibility of an extension.

“With a deadline for a nuclear deal less than two days away, negotiators faced the choice Sunday of pushing on despite diminishing chance of agreement, or shifting to ways of extending negotiations past the target date.” AP reports.

A member of the Iranian delegation in Vienna said the tipping point could come Sunday night, with Iran and six world powers deciding that their differences are too big to bridge by Monday and switching to extension mode.

From that point on, he said, the negotiations would focus on reaching a "general political agreement'' on what both sides are committed to resolving.

The official, who demanded anonymity as a condition for briefing the media, said that talks would then be held in the near future to sign that agreement, leading to more negotiations on outstanding issues.

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