The European Union's foreign minister confirmed on Monday that no meeting is scheduled with the Iranians on Thursday in Brussels to resume discussions on the nuclear file, following Tehran's announcement of a visit by Iranian negotiator Ali Baqeri. After a meeting with EU foreign affairs ministers in Luxembourg, Borrell stated, "There will be no meeting on Thursday. If a meeting is scheduled, I will be informed."
He added, "The talks should take place in Vienna, at a date yet to be determined," and emphasized, "I told the Iranians that time is running out and it is against them." Borrell further noted that "the Iranians informed the European negotiator Enrique Mora of their desire for preliminary talks with me, but this desire has not been specified and there is nothing concrete."
Borrell's clarification follows an announcement from the Iranian foreign ministry that the Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Baqeri will travel to Brussels on Thursday to discuss "unresolved issues" after meetings with European negotiator Enrique Mora in Tehran last week. The spokesperson for the EU foreign minister denied to AFP that the meeting would take place.
Borrell confirmed that the Iranians did not inform him of their negotiator's visit, stating during a press conference, "I am not against such a meeting and I am ready to hold it." The EU is urging the Iranians to resume negotiations that began in Vienna to save the 2015 nuclear agreement with major powers, which were suspended in June following the election of a new president in Iran.
Borrell updated EU ministers on Enrique Mora's discussions in Tehran with the Iranian government's negotiating team and his meeting in Washington with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He mentioned, "Things are improving," but added that "the Iranians are still not prepared to resume Vienna talks," stressing that "the aim is to resume as soon as possible."
He noted that the Iranians "want clarifications on the text presented on the table (in Vienna) and bilateral communications with some of the signing countries." In Washington, the U.S. State Department called on Iran to resume negotiations to return to the agreement "as soon as possible." Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters that "the goal we seek is Vienna, not an intermediate step in Brussels."
Price affirmed that "there is no disagreement with our partners. There is no disagreement that our interest lies in mutual return to compliance (with the agreement)." The 2015 agreement in Vienna was made between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1 (China, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, and the European Union). It stipulates the easing of international sanctions in exchange for restricting Iran's nuclear program and guarantees against developing a nuclear bomb. The U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under President Donald Trump and reinstated sanctions on Iran that the agreement had mandated be lifted. In response, Tehran gradually abandoned the restrictions outlined in the agreement. New U.S. President Joe Biden expressed readiness to return to the agreement provided that Iran resumes compliance simultaneously.
