Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




NUKEWARS
Britain, France demand Iran nuclear inspections
by Staff Writers
Luxembourg (AFP) June 22, 2015


Iran hopes Luxembourg meeting can boost nuclear talks
Tehran (AFP) June 22, 2015 - A top Iranian official said he hopes a meeting Monday with three European foreign ministers will address key disagreements in nuclear talks, noting that "this marathon is nearing its end".

Abbas Araghchi, a negotiator, said Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is due in Luxembourg for discussions with his British, French and German counterparts on the potentially historic accord that could resolve a 12-year dispute over the Islamic republic's atomic programme.

A final deal is due by June 30.

"Differences on the text of the agreement have been reduced but the progress hasn't been what we expected," said Araghchi, a deputy foreign minister who was to join Zarif, according to state television.

Araghchi has been in Vienna where talks between experts from Iran and the P5+1 bloc (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany) have sought to narrow gaps.

"We hope that during the meeting of the ministers today there will be more discussion about differences in several key issues," Araghchi said.

The meeting is to take place on the sidelines of the monthly meeting of heads of diplomacy of European Union members.

Zarif will hold talks with Britain's Philip Hammond, Laurent Fabius of France, Germany's Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and later a joint meeting with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

There will then be bilateral talks between Iran and the three ministers.

Iran and the P5+1 have been engaged in negotiations for 21 months on ending international concern that Iran is developing an atomic bomb, an allegation denied by Tehran.

It is "probable" that US Secretary of State John Kerry, who has been recovering from a broken leg, will travel to Vienna "at the end of this week" for bilateral talks ahead of the June 30 deadline, said Araghchi.

"The rest of P5+1 foreign ministers are expected to join. This marathon is nearing its end," he added.

World powers say a final agreement must guarantee the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme. In exchange, international sanctions that have ravaged Iran's economy would be lifted.

Britain and France insisted Monday that any deal on Iran's contested nuclear programme must include a comprehensive verification regime to ensure Tehran sticks to its commitments, as the clock ticks down to an end-of-month deadline.

After years of tortuous negotiations, both sides are racing to agree a deal by June 30 that would see Iran open up its nuclear programme to allay concerns it is seeking atomic weapons, in return for the West lifting punishing economic sanctions.

But suspicions run deep and both British foreign secretary Philip Hammond and his French counterpart Laurent Fabius were adamant that Iran, which says its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes, should have no wriggle room.

"Britain wants a robust and verifiable deal with Iran that ensures that its nuclear programme in the future is exclusively civil," Hammond said after talks in Luxembourg with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, Fabius, Germany's Frank-Walter Steinmeier and EU foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini.

"We cannot compromise on the absolute red lines we have. If we do a deal, it has to be verifiable," Hammond said.

"There is a lack of trust on both sides and only full verification... to confirm that both sides are in compliance with their agreements is going to regenerate that trust in the future."

Fabius had already warned Sunday that any deal with Iran had to be verifiable and on Monday spelt out France's demands again.

"A robust agreement is one which includes an extensive verification element, including if necessary visits to military sites and automatic re-introduction of sanctions if Iran violates the accord," Fabius told reporters.

Just before the talks, Zarif had said that "all sides should avoid excessive demands ... so as to allow us to reach an accord" and afterwards he appeared confident of progress.

"There is a political commitment on the part of everybody to move forward," Zarif said on the sidelines of an EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg.

"There is the possibility that we can finish this by the deadline or a few days after the deadline," he said.

Mogherini, who as European Union foreign affairs head has been brokering the negotiations, said she had "a useful meeting with Zarif."

Iran and the P5+1 powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- agreed in April on the main outlines of what would be a historic deal scaling down Tehran's nuclear programme.

In return, they agreed that punishing western sanctions against Iran would be progressively lifted if regular inspections confirm that Tehran is sticking to the accord.

The two sides, having missed a March 31 deadline, agreed in early April a new date of June 30 to finalise the accord and negotiators have been meeting regularly in Vienna and elsewhere since then to hammer out a deal.

axr/bmm/mfp

April


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








NUKEWARS
Iran MPs unveil potential obstacle to nuclear deal
Tehran (AFP) June 17, 2015
Iranian lawmakers unveiled proposed legislation Wednesday that a top official said would protect the nation's nuclear interests, but which could become an obstacle in negotiations for a deal this month. The bill, sponsored by the chairman of parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, was signed by 225 of the country's 290 MPs and faces a vote on Sunday. "At the moment, ... read more


NUKEWARS
Crashing comets may explain mysterious lunar swirls

Google Lunar X-Prize meets Yoda

China, Russia plan joint landing on the Moon

NASA's LRO Moves Closer to the Lunar Surface

NUKEWARS
NASA Signs Agreements to Advance Agency's Journey to Mars

New study favors cold, icy early Mars

Scientists find methane in Mars meteorites

Red Planet Rising

NUKEWARS
Robotic Tunneler May Explore Icy Moons

How to sail through space on sunbeams - solar satellite leads the way

XCOR Selects Matrix Composites to Develop Lynx Chines

Spacecraft glitch shifts orbiting ISS: Russia

NUKEWARS
Electric thruster propels China's interstellar ambitions

China Plans First Ever Landing On The Lunar Far Side

China ranked 4th among world space powers

3D printer making Chinese space suit parts

NUKEWARS
Russian, US Scientists to Cooperate in Space Exploration Despite Sanctions

'Hard landing' as three astronauts return to Earth from ISS

ISS Adjusts Orbit to Evade Space Junk

Space station back on track after mystery Soyuz glitch

NUKEWARS
Garvey Spacecraft selects Pacific Spaceport Complex

Sentinel-2A satellite ready for Launch from Kourou

Arianespace restructure signals major changes in company governance

NASA issues RFP for New Class of Launch Services

NUKEWARS
Helium-Shrouded Planets May Be Common in Our Galaxy

Hubble detects stratosphere-like layer around exoplanet

Work-experience schoolboy discovers a new planet

Hubble in 'Oh Planet, What Art Thou?' 25th Anniversary Video

NUKEWARS
Raytheon producing more radars for P-8A Poseidon aircraft

Jordanian AF receiving Thales radar system

Mantis shrimp inspires new body armor and football helmet design

A new look at surface chemistry




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.