(VOVWORLD) - Negotiations in Vienna to revive the Iran nuclear deal are progressing, the EU’s top diplomat said Monday, expressing cautious optimism that an agreement will be reached.
Josep Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, told a press conference following a meeting of EU foreign ministers, that he hopes there will be "non-stop" talks in Vienna to try to clinch a breakthrough on bringing the United States back to the Iran nuclear deal. He said full implementation of the deal by all parties is the best way to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iran nuclear program.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday that time is of the essence in the Vienna negotiations. He said Germany wants a full restoration of the deal as the only way to guarantee that Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons.
The other parties (Russia, Great Britain, France, China and Germany) to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) have conducted four rounds of negotiations since the beginning of April. The United States has participated virtually from a nearby hotel, with the European Union (EU) acting as an intermediary.