Participants hail progress after meeting to revive Iran nuclear deal

“After intensive talks we have taken stock in the Joint Commission. Progress has been made in a far from easy task,” the European Union’s Deputy Secretary General and Political Director of European External Action Service Enrique Mora said on Saturday.

Mora made the remarks in a tweet after the conclusion of a meeting of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA that he chaired in the Austrian capital, and which was attended by diplomats from Iran, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany.

The US delegation is also in Vienna, but it cannot partake in the official JCPOA talks due to its withdrawal from the accord in 2018.

Mora said “more detailed work” is needed to revive the pact, stressing all participants should remain committed to the same objective of returning the United States to the JCPOA and the deal’s full implementation.

After intensive talks we have taken stock in the Joint Commission. Progress has been made in a far from easy task. We need now more detailed work. Key that everyone is committed to the same objectives: US rejoining the #JCPOA and its full implementation. pic.twitter.com/84CDnzC4nf

— Enrique Mora (@enriquemora_) April 17, 2021

A day earlier, Iran announced that it had managed to produce its first batch of 60-percent enriched uranium in the Natanz nuclear facility days after the site was attacked in an alleged Israeli operation.

Russia’s Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov also said after the meeting that the participants took note with satisfaction of the progress made so far.

Ulyanov added that the participants voiced determination to continue negotiations “with a view to complete the process successfully as soon as possible.”

He also announced the continuation of work by the two expert-level working groups that have been set up with the task of lifting the US sanctions against Iran and bringing Tehran to full compliance with its nuclear obligations under the deal.

“The Joint Commission instructed expert-level working groups on US #sanctions lifting and nuclear issues to continue their activities on Saturday afternoon, Sunday and next week in order not to waste time and to make further progress in the negotiations on #JCPOA restoration,” the Russian envoy tweeted.

The Joint Commission instructed expert-level working groups on US #sanctions lifting and nuclear issues to continue their activities on Saturday afternoon, Sunday and next week in order not to waist time and to make further progress in the negotiations on #JCPOA restoration.

The Chinese envoy to the talks said earlier that all participants had agreed to accelerate work on issues, including sanctions the United States should lift.

“All parties have agreed to further pick up their pace in subsequent days by engaging [in] more extensive, substantive work on sanctions-lifting as well as other relevant issues,” Wang Qun told reporters.

Iran’s chief negotiator, Abbas Araqchi, also said a new understanding is emerging at talks aimed at salvaging Iran's nuclear deal with global powers

“We think that the talks have reached a stage where parties are able to begin to work on a joint draft,” Araqchi said after the meeting. “It seems that a new understanding is taking shape, and now there is agreement over final goals.”