Robert Malley: Vienna Talks to Resume This Week
The US Special Envoy to Iran said this week diplomats will return to Vienna to resume negotiations on reviving the JCPOA with Iran. The eighth round of these talks had been suspended about a week ago.
On Sunday night, February 6, Robert Malley, the US Special Envoy to Iran, said in an interview with MSNBC that talks on returning to the JCPOA with Iran will resume this week.
According to Reuters news agency, Malley said: “President Biden still wants us to advance the negotiations in Vienna.”
The eighth round of talks on returning to the JCPOA between Iran and the countries of China, Russia, Germany, Britain, and France with the indirect participation of the United States began on December 27 in Vienna. The European Union announced on January 28 with the release of a statement that this round of talks has been suspended and representatives of the countries are returning to their capitals to receive instructions.
Robert Malley said about the continuation of talks this week: “We will meet again next week, and this is a sign that we still believe the nuclear agreement is not dead and we need to make it operational again because it is in our interest.”
To confirm the date of resuming Vienna talks, Reuters tried to speak with a US State Department spokesman, but he was not available.
A European official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said these talks would likely resume on Tuesday, February 8, in Vienna, with senior US representatives indirectly discussing with representatives of the Islamic Republic.
Diplomats and analysts say the longer these talks continue and Iran remains outside the JCPOA agreement for an extended period, the shorter the time becomes for the Islamic Republic to acquire the capability to build an atomic bomb. The goal of these talks is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, although the Islamic Republic says it has no such program.
The US government on Friday, February 4, restored some of Iran’s sanctions exemptions. The US State Department in a report presented to Congress stated the reason for restoring these exemptions as the entry of indirect talks between the United States and Iran for reviving the JCPOA into its final phase, and stated the goal of lifting sanctions as encouraging Iran to commit again to this agreement.
These exemptions lift sanctions against countries and international companies related to Iran’s non-military nuclear activities. A US State Department official said this measure is not a signal from Washington to reach an agreement with Iran.
The US action was met with welcome from Vienna talks participants and a cautious and cool response from Iran. Among others, Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, wrote on Twitter: “Real, effective and verifiable economic benefit for Iran is a necessary condition for the formation of an agreement. A show of lifting sanctions is not considered a constructive measure.”
Source: DW
