Iran sees progress; talks resume after all-night session

Iran sees progress; talks resume after all-night session

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) – Eyes bleary from lack of sleep, senior diplomats from the six countries negotiating with Iran huddled Thursday in a morning strategy session meant to advance the pace of agonizingly slow nuclear talks. Iran’s foreign minister said the sides were close to a preliminary agreement, but not yet there.

The talks resumed several hours after a flurry of marathon overnight sessions between Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, as well as other meetings among the six powers negotiating to curb Iranian nuclear programs that could be used to make weapons. Iran denies any interest in such arms and wants a deal that will quickly lift economic sanctions stifling its economy.

Two days after busting through a March 31 deadline, the negotiators hope to leave the Swiss city of Lausanne with at least a text outlining general political commitments to resolve concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, and the pace of lifting sanctions. They are also trying to fashion more detailed documents on the steps they must take by June 30 to meet those goals.

As he headed to his own meeting Thursday, Zarif said the talks had made “significant progress.” But he said drafts still had to be written. Reaching both agreement in Lausanne as well as a June final deal will be “a difficult job,” he said.

One problem, said Zarif, was differing voices among the other side at the table – the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany – making it difficult for them “to reach a coordination.”

A senior Western official was downbeat, saying the talks were “at a tough moment and the path forward is really unclear.” The official was not authorized to discuss the negotiations and demanded anonymity.

via NorthEast Calling http://ift.tt/1F5Uxcr