December 26-2014
Iran’s nuclear talks with the Big Six resumed for only a solitary day last week and ended with both France and Britain complaining that Iran is not showing enough flexibility to make an agreement possible.
The previous session of the negotiations ended November 24, with an agreement to extend the talks seven months to June 30. Iran and the Big Six did not meet again until last Wednesday, December 17, for what turned out to be a one-day event. They are expected to meet again in mid-January, but for how many days is undecided.
At his annual end-of-the-year press conference in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Iran and the Big Six were “very close” to reaching an agreement.
But that isn’t what the British and French think.
They told the UN Security Council after last week’s talks that Iran has still failed to show sufficient flexibility to bring the talks to a successful conclusion.
“In spite of insufficient flexibility demonstrated at this stage by Iranian negotiators, we’d like to believe that Iran does seek a long-term agreement,” senior French diplomat Philippe Bertoux told the UN Security Council.
“We would expect that Iran takes strategic choices and courageous decisions” in upcoming rounds of negotiations, he added.
Senior British diplomat Michael Tatham echoed his remarks, urging Iran to be more flexible.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said Wednesday he had “very useful and helpful” nuclear negotiations with the major powers in Geneva.