Speaking to reporters at the end of Syria peace talks in Vienna, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed that the basis of the talks held on Thursday and Friday followed directives of Iran's Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, adding “we held several discussions with the 5+1 group of countries especially the US on the acceleration of the execution of their commitments in regard to the JCPOA.”
He added that good progress had been made during the extensive discussions held on the reconstruction of Arak heavy water reactor.
Arak heavy water reactor was among the issues discussed in negotiations between Iran and the 5+1 group of countries aimed at reaching a final comprehensive deal on Tehran's nuclear energy program. According to the AEOI Head Ali Akbar Salehi, Arak nuclear reactor will be redesigned to produce lesser amounts of plutonium, but it will remain a heavy water reactor.
Zarif further added that they had also held talks with the American side on their commitments on giving guarantees to Iran’s business partners that the US would not prevent them from doing business with the country.
“We held three meetings with the American side, and during each one of them, they discussed the matters with Washington and then responded to our demands,” said Zarif.
Elsewhere, the Iranian top diplomat touched upon the Syria talks, saying “we stressed that terrorism must be eradicated and that the future of Syria must be decided by its own people. We did not attend the talks [in Vienna] to determine a leader for Syria.”
Zarif further added that the joint statement that was released at the end of the Vienna talks on Friday does not contain any extremist views, rather it includes more moderate ones.
The US, Russia, Iran and other regional countries called on Friday for a nationwide truce in Syria’s four-year war. In the joint statement, the participants called on the UN to gather representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition to begin the political process in the Arab country.
The next meeting on Syria will be held in 15 days and the participants of talks will be the same, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Friday after discussions that lasted some eight hours.
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