U.S. top diplomat says Iran keeps all commitments for second month
By Sara Rajabova
U.S. Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman has described the negotiations with Tehran as "productive" and "substantial."
Sherman made the remark in an interview with the U.S.-based think tank Aspen Institute on March 26.
Speaking about the changes for reaching a comprehensive nuclear deal with Iran Sherman, said that this is very difficult: "Because it's comprehensive".
She said the main purpose of the nuclear negotiations with Tehran is to "assure the international community that if Iran has an enrichment program, it is exclusively peaceful."
Iran and six world powers have been holding negotiations to resolve a decade-long dispute over Tehran's nuclear energy program.
Iran has repeatedly insisted on the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear energy program.
Sherman, who is also top American negotiator at the nuclear talks with Iran, further referred to a recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) "saying that for the second consecutive month that Iran has kept all its commitments and so has the P5+1," referring to the six countries in talks with Iran.
Sherman also added that the IAEA report helps build confidence in reaching a comprehensive agreement by the July 20 deadline, when an interim agreement reached between Iran and the P5+1 group expires.
China, France, Russia, the UK and the U.S, which are the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, along with Germany, held high-level nuclear talks with Iran on March 18-19.
Under the Geneva deal, which took effect on January 20, the six world powers undertook to provide Iran with some sanctions relief in exchange for Tehran's agreement to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities during a six-month period.
The European Union and the U.S. have voiced support for their ongoing negotiations with Iran in an effort to fully resolve the dispute, Press TV reported.
In a joint statement issued following a meeting in Brussels on March 26, senior EU and U.S. officials said they would "continue to make every effort to ensure a successful" resolution of the nuclear issue.
The EU-U.S. statement further pointed to the February round of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and the six countries in Vienna, and said the discussions led to an understanding on the key issues that need to be resolved, and in a timetable for negotiations over the next few months.
Iran and its negotiating partners are set to resume their negotiations on April 7-9.