Russia: Negotiations on Nuclear Agreement have reached drafting stage

While significant steps have been taken toward meeting shared goals, practical solutions remain far off after two weeks of Vienna nuclear agreement talks, reports Russian official Mikhail Ulyanov.

The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. (photo credit: REUTERS/LISI NIESNER/FILE PHOTO)
The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021.
(photo credit: REUTERS/LISI NIESNER/FILE PHOTO)
Significant progress has been made with regard to the nuclear deal talks taking place in Vienna, Russia's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mikhail Ulyanov, reported on Monday.
"To summarize the outcome of two weeks of discussions, we can note with great satisfaction that the negotiations have reached the drafting stage." Ulyanov wrote in a statement on Twitter.
The senior Russian official added that "practical solutions are still far away, but we have moved from general conversation to agreeing on the specific steps we must take to meet our goal."
The remarks continued following the statement by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi last Saturday at the conclusion of the nuclear talks in Vienna: "A new understanding seems to be emerging and there is agreement among all the countries as to the final destination." According to his statement, the continuation of the talks will not be easy and there are more serious disputes ahead, but it is possible to start working on a draft agreement.
Iran has recently held talks with representatives of the superpowers in Vienna, in order to return to the 2015 agreement, which was abandoned about three years ago by former US President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, another violation of the nuclear agreement was recorded last week. According to Iranian media reports, President Hassan Rouhani has ordered the use of advanced centrifuge for enrichment samples, something that had previously been banned in the 2015 agreement. This is an apparent message to the United States in the wake of nuclear talks, suggesting that Iran will continue to violate the agreement so long as US sanctions remain in place.