Iran expects “practical steps” by West in nuke talks: top negotiator

TEHRAN — Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator said Tuesday that Iran has entered a new round of Vienna talks with “useful and constructive” proposals and expects “practical steps” from the West in this regard.

In the new round of talks, resumed on Nov. 29, the negotiations entered an important stage, and “Iran made very useful and constructive proposals on the two issues of lifting sanctions and nuclear measures, which could seriously move the negotiation process forward,” Ali Bagheri Kani, also Iran’s deputy foreign minister, told Iran’s state TV in the Russian capital of Moscow.

Describing relations between Iran and Russia as excellent in various fields, Bagheri Kani noted that “we have consultations with Russia on various issues, and we have already consulted with Russian officials about the Vienna talks.”

The Iranian top negotiator added that there was also interaction with other parties on the sidelines of the Vienna talks, aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). He expressed the hope that in the upcoming meeting the negotiations would continue “more quickly.”

He also confirmed earlier reports that relevant parties will meet in the Austrian capital of Vienna on Thursday to continue their discussions.

Earlier on the day, Tasnim news agency reported that the date of the upcoming meeting was decided by Bagheri Kani and Enrique Mora, deputy secretary-general and political director of the European External Action Service, in a telephone conversation on Monday.