Iran calls for more flexibility by 'other side' in nuclear talks
A senior Iranian official in Beijing urged "the other side" to be "more flexible" over the country's nuclear issue on Friday, the last planned day of the latest round of talks between Iran and six world powers aimed at sealing a deal on Iran's activity by a July deadline.
"Things are going not bad. But I don't know if at the end of this six months, they could reach an agreement," said Ali Akbar Velayati, foreign policy adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"It's up to the other side. If they are more flexible, there are some hopes that at the end of this six months, we can reach a positive point," said Velayati, former foreign minister of Iran.
Iran and China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and Germany re-launched talks in Vienna on Tuesday to try to salvage a deal on Teheran's nuclear activity by a July 20 deadline.
Diplomats familiar with the progress of Iran nuclear talks said some differences have been narrowed between Teheran and those six world powers, The Associated Press reported on Friday.
But these officials reported little progress on the main dispute, with Iran resisting US-led attempts to place strict constraints on its uranium enrichment program, which Teheran insists is for peaceful purposes, the report said.
Velayati spoke highly of what he called the "better position" of China and Russia compared with the four other countries, calling for closer economic cooperation between Teheran and Beijing.
He highlighted Iran's willingness and potential to be an important part of the Silk Road Economic Belt, a trans-Eurasian project proposed by Beijing that would stretch from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea.
At the same time, there has been a more positive tone to Iran's interactions with the West since the election last year of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
As the latest sign of the warming ties between Iran and the West, the UK announced plans on Tuesday to reopen its embassy in Teheran. The embassy has been closed since an attack by protesters in 2011 triggered a breakdown in relations.
Describing the opening to as a positive step, Velayati said, "We welcome the opening of embassies in both countries.
"The closing of the embassy of Britain was a mistake," he said. "Because maybe there are some difficulties between the two countries, but it doesn't make sense if they close the embassy, getting out and coming back. I think that now, this is the compensation for that mistake."
Velayati, who is visiting China as the guest of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, gave a speech on Iran-China cooperation on Friday at Renmin University of China. He also met State Councilor Yang Jiechi on Monday.
zhaoshengnan@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily 06/21/2014 page7)
