Brussels, 22/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 22 May, Iran's President Hassan Rohani gave assurances that his country and the E3+3 (Germany, France, United Kingdom and China, United States, Russia) would very probably reach an agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme by the 20 July deadline. “We will very probably reach an agreement by the end of July”, he told press in Shanghai (China).
Questioned by EUROPE on Rohani's statement, the spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton reiterated that Ashton was working “very hard to obtain an overall agreement that will reassure the international community on the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear programme”, and that the EU hoped that “the Iranian party was also committed to [finding] such an agreement”. “We want to reach an agreement as soon as possible, but the most important thing is that a firm agreement that is satisfactory for everyone be found”, Ashton's spokesperson stated.
The last round of negotiations was held on 13-16 May, without any major progress seeming to be made (see EUROPE 11082). (CG)