Brussels, 25/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 24 November, the former high representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy, Catherine Ashton, and Iran's Minister for Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif announced in a joint press release that the negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme were to be extended until 30 June 2015.
“We, together with the foreign ministers of the E3+3 [Germany, France, United Kingdom and China, United States, Russia], have (…) agreed to continue our diplomatic efforts. We have decided to extend the measures of the joint plan of action to allow for further negotiations until June 30th”, Ashton and Zarif stated. During the extended discussions, the parties will continue to implement their commitments described in the joint plan of action “in an efficient and timely manner”. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be asked to continue monitoring the voluntary measures under the joint plan of action.
The continued negotiations will take place in two stages - first, political, and then technical. “We intend to build on the current momentum in order to complete these negotiations within the shortest possible time, up to four months, and if necessary to use the remaining time until the end of June to finalise any possible remaining technical and drafting work”, Ashton and Zarif stated. “The next meeting to continue our work will happen in December”, they added.
While Ashton and Zarif would have preferred to finalise a comprehensive solution during this round of negotiations, they “remain convinced that, based on the progress made and on the new ideas which continue to be explored, there is a credible path through which a comprehensive solution can be reached”. They stated that some ideas have been developed, but given the technical nature of this effort and the decisions needed, more work is required to assess and finalise them as appropriate.
Restrictive measures against Iran suspended. The Council of the EU has extended the suspension of the EU's restrictive measures against Iran until 30 June 2015. These measures were provided for in the joint action plan of 24 November 2013 (see EUROPE 10995). The Council's suspension of the restrictive measures entered into force at the end of Tuesday, with their publication in the Official Journal. The new period runs until the 30 June 2015 deadline that has been set to find a definitive agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme. The EU froze a series of sanctions against key sectors for the Iranian economy (including petro-chemicals, trade in gold and precious metals, and financial transfers) for the first time on 20 January. This measure was renewed once in July for a period expiring on 24 November - the date the negotiators had targeted for concluding their talks to outline the Iranian nuclear programme and divest it of any military aim.
“We didn't intend to spend seven months in finding an agreement. We want to conclude with a political agreement as soon as possible and then a technical one”, said Zarif. “Difficult decisions must be taken but I think we can reach an agreement”, he added. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani believed that “many gaps were bridged” during the negotiations. “Our positions and those of the other party have come closer”, he said, adding that “this path will result in a definitive agreement”.
In the view of US Secretary of State John Kerry, “real and substantial progress has been made” but “a few important points of disagreement” remain. “These talks will not be any easier because we are extending them. They are difficult. They have been difficult. And they will remain so”, he warned. “We have made some good progress in these last few days and have explored together ways of dealing with some of the significant gaps that remain. These are very complex issues and very challenging negotiations”, said the UK's Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Philip Hammond. Stating that there is “a much better understanding” of what an agreement would look like that would be acceptable to both sides, Hammond said that they “all” believed that they had “got far enough that it is worth continuing this work”.
High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini underlined that it was “important” to continue the negotiations to find a good agreement. “Not only an agreement but a good agreement”, she stressed. She believed this could come about in the coming months. Mogherini said that although there was no agreement, this did not mean the process was over and that an agreement was not possible - “on the contrary”.
Will Mogherini continue the negotiations? Mogherini stated that she would talk to Ashton in the coming days to see who would continue the negotiations as Ashton's mandate was only extended until 24 November. Mogherini said that she would also talk to the EU foreign affairs ministers and those of the EU's partners. (CG)