Azernews.Az

By Bloomberg

Russia is certain that agreement will be reached soon on Iran’s nuclear program, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

While it’s not clear that the deal between the Islamic Republic and world powers can be concluded in time for a June 30 deadline, there won’t be a long delay, Ryabkov told reporters in Moscow on Friday.

“I think we have already passed the point where it’s possible to doubt that it can be achieved,” said Ryabkov, who is Russia’s lead negotiator at the Iranian nuclear talks. “Now we have high confidence that an agreement isn’t just possible, it will definitely come about.”

Iran and world powers including the U.S., Russia and China reached an outline accord in April on its nuclear program after a decade of negotiations. Iran says its program is for peaceful civilian purposes, while the U.S. and its allies accuse the Islamic Republic of seeking nuclear weapons.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said last week that a final nuclear agreement is possible before June 30 and that negotiators are working on a “single agreed text.”

One of the major remaining sticking points is the mechanism for lifting sanctions against Iran. Ryabkov said on May 15 after the latest round of talks in Vienna that there hadn’t been progress on this issue.