WEISSENHAUS, Germany (Reuters) – EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Friday that a trip to Tehran this week by the European Union’s coordinator for Iran nuclear talks had helped relaunch talks after two months of blockage.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a G7 meeting in northern Germany, Josep Borrell said Iran had given a “sufficiently positive” response to concern expressed by EU coordinator Enrique Mora. that the status quo could not last.
He added, however, that the sticking points between Iran and the United States could not be resolved “overnight” to put the 2015 nuclear deal back on track.
“Let’s say that the negotiations were blocked and they were unblocked and that means that there is hope to reach a final agreement”, said Josep Borrell.
A senior European official, however, moderated these statements.
“Obstacles still stand in the way of an agreement,” he said, adding that Iran and the United States remained committed to the process. A second European official indicated that no date had been set for the resumption of indirect negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said Enrique Mora’s visit was an opportunity to explore ways to settle outstanding issues.
“A suitable and reliable agreement is within reach, if the United States makes a political decision and respects its commitments,” he said.
A US State Department spokesman said a deal was not certain.
“Iran must decide whether to insist on additional conditions or to conclude an agreement quickly. It is up to Iran to decide,” said the spokesman, who preferred to remain anonymous.
(Report by John Irish, French version Tangi Salaün and Camille Raynaud, edited by Bertrand Boucey)
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