VIENNA, November 21 (Sputnik) — Positive discussion and interest in closing a deal have been noted during talks in Vienna with Iran on the country's nuclear issue, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told journalists Friday.
“There is clearly an interest on the Iranian side to get the deal done,” Hammond said prior to meeting his US and French colleagues, adding: “We are all determined to make some progress, there has been positive discussion, and a cordial atmosphere, but we’ve got a long way to go if we are going to get to a deal before the deadline on Monday.”
"We've got a very short amount of time,” he underlined, adding that the sides are now focused “trying to get the key principles of the deal agreed over the next 72 hours, so that we can meet that important deadline."
Hammond also said that Iran was interested in an agreement on its nuclear energy program in order to reset relations with the international community.
“The price for Iran is huge: access to a very large amount of frozen assets, the ability to trade freely […] and the ability to reset relationships with the international community,” Hammond said.
Hammond also noted that more flexibility is expected from the Iranians, but "we are prepared to show some flexibility on our side.”
Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters that the "French position is similar with those of the international community" and expressed hope that a peaceful agreement on uranium enrichment will be reached.
The final round of Tehran's talks with the P5+1 group, comprising Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China and Germany, began in the Austrian capital of Vienna on Tuesday.
With a November 24 deadline following months of negotiations the landmark accord seeks to erase fears that Tehran might develop nuclear weapons under the guise of its civilian activities — an ambition it denies.
Iran is currently subject to a number of sanctions passed by the UN Security Council, as well as economic sanctions by the European Union, the United States, and other countries.
