Washington / Vienna: The negotiations between the P5Ư nations and Iran on the latter's nuclear program failed to reach an agreement before the deadline of July 20 and agreed to extend the talks till November 24 for brokering an agreement.
The announcement was made by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and the Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, in a joint statement in Vienna.
“We, together with the Political Directors of the E3Ʊ (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States), have worked intensively towards a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JPOA), building on the political momentum created by the adoption and smooth implementation by both sides of the Joint Plan of Action agreed on 24 November 2013,” the joint statement said.
The statement came after months of tough negotiations between Iran and the so-called P5Ư comprising of the US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany; along with European Union with the latest negotiations spread over nearly two weeks in Vienna.
The P5Ư group and Iran had agreed on a Joint Plan of Action last November to arrive on an agreement by June 20 to address the international communities concerns about Iran's nuclear weapons program.
“While we have made tangible progress on some of the issues and have worked together on a text for a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, there are still significant gaps on some core issues which will require more time and effort,” the statement said.
Diplomats from these countries and European Union will reconvene in coming weeks in different formats with the clear determination to reach agreement on a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action at the earliest possible moment.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was in Vienna early this week to participate in negotiations said the JPOA was a six-month understanding that went into effect on January 20, and it has been a clear success.
