'Dishonest reports' won't weaken Iran's will to secure nation's rights: Chief negotiator in Vienna talks

Iran's chief negotiator in Vienna talks has once again reaffirmed the Islamic Republic's determination to reach a deal with the P4+1 group of countries on the removal of sanctions during the ongoing negotiations in the Austrian capital, saying "dishonest reports" from outside the negotiating room will fail to have any impact on Tehran's will.

"Dishonest reports from outside negotiating room won't weaken our will to reach a deal securing our nation's rights & interests," Ali Bagheri Kani said in a post on his Twitter account on Friday as talks are underway between Iran and the five remaining signatories to the 2015 nuclear agreement aimed at securing the removal of the sanctions imposed by the US on Iran after Washington's withdrawal from the accord, and reviving the embattled deal.

Bagheri Kani, who serves as Iran's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, emphasized that the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is alive "because of Iran's responsible conduct."

He also pointed to a friendly meeting with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and said he reiterated Iran's "seriousness and good will" in the Vienna talks.

Iran, P4+1 working on text of final document in Vienna: Russia

Meanwhile, the Russian lead negotiator has said Iran and the P4+1 group of countries -- Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany -- are working on the text of a “final document” during the talks.

“It will take time and a lot of efforts but participants are result-oriented,” the Russian ambassador to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said in a post on his Twitter on Friday.

Since April, Vienna has been hosting negotiations on the revival of the JCPOA, which would require the US to remove its anti-Iran sanctions three years after Washington walked out of the multilateral agreement and slapped the bans on Iran to kill the deal.

The seventh round of talks between Iran and the P4+1 group of countries resumed in the Austrian capital on Thursday after being paused on December 3, when the participants returned to their capitals for additional consultations on two draft proposals that Tehran had put forward. The talks started on November 29 after a hiatus in the negotiations due to the presidential election in Iran.

Vienna talks parties to continue intense contacts, including at expert level: Russian Foreign Ministry

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that all participants in the talks once again expressed determination to put maximum effort for restoring the JCPOA in its original form. "All sides reaffirmed their intention to pay maximum effort with the goal of finally defining practical steps, needed to re-launch the extensive implementation of JCPOA in its initial form, without additions or deletions."

It added that Iran and the P4+1 group of countries decided to continue intense contacts, including at the level of experts, within the framework of working groups on the removal of US sanctions and nuclear issues.

The US delegation is not involved in direct talks between Iran and the JCPOA parties but it is usually present in Vienna for separate consultations with other signatories to the deal.

In a phone call with European Union foreign Policy chief Joseph Borrell on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian reiterated Tehran’s seriousness in achieving a good agreement with the P4+1 group of countries during the current talks, saying a rapid progress in diplomacy depends on the West’s goodwill and constructive initiatives.

Progress in Vienna depends on West’s goodwill, constructive views: Iran FM

The Iranian foreign minister says rapid progress of the Vienna talks depends on the West’s goodwill and constructive ideas and initiatives.

“In the last eight years, enough has been said and no promise has been fulfilled, but it is time for action today and we are making efforts to reach a serious and good agreement,” the top Iranian diplomat added.

On Friday, Bagheri Kani also held talks with Ulyanov.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed leading bilateral and international issues, particularly the Vienna talks.

Advances in Vienna talks 'logical': EU official

A senior European Union official also said on Friday that the current negotiations are moving forward, adding that substantial matters were still open for a deal on a final text.

"My impression is that we are simply advancing in quite the logical way of the negotiation," the official said in response to a question whether the EU, which is chairing the talks, was optimistic about the new Iranian negotiating team's position.

"That's probably why our European friends interpret that the Iranian delegation is more forthcoming," the EU official said, adding that seven or eight points were still open to agree a deal and that they represented "huge political points."

Following the top EU official's comments, the Russian lead negotiator said his country shares view with the bloc on the situation at the Vienna talks.

"The negotiators managed to remove some misunderstandings which we faced at the end of the last week and started practical work," Ulyanov tweeted.

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