Chinese official at Iran nuclear talks sees hope of a deal

By

China's representative at talks on Iran's nuclear program said on Thursday he saw hope that a deal would be done, a day after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said "significant gaps" remained to be negotiated.

"We are at the final stage of our efforts for a comprehensive agreement," Wang Qun, Director-General of the arms control department of China's Foreign Ministry, told reporters.

"We do think that it's a last stage and hopefully we could reach an agreement."

Wang was speaking in Montreux, the Swiss lakeside town where Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrapped up 10 hours of talks over three days on Wednesday.

Kerry flew on to Riyadh, where he briefed Gulf Arab leaders on Thursday, leaving senior diplomats from Iran and the so-called P5+1 countries - the United States, China, Russia,France Britain and Germany - to continue negotiations.The six powers and Iran have set an end-June deadline to reach an agreement that curbs sensitive Iranian nuclear work in exchange for sanctions relief. The Western powers hope to have a political framework agreement by the end of March.

"Basically there are two categories of issues," Wang said in English. "One is how to see the non-proliferation concern is removed and secondly is to see the Iranian rights for peaceful uses (of nuclear technology) is ensured."

Zarif said in a U.S. television interview on Wednesday that he was prepared to work round the clock for a deal.

"We believe that we are very close, very close and we could be very far," Zarif said.

Tags
John Kerry, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran
Join the Discussion
More News
Trump

GOP Senator Theorizes That Epstein Was a Federal Asset After FBI Declares No 'Client List': 'The Dots Don't Add Up Cleanly'

Dead Body Found Wrapped in a Tarp in Goodwill Donation

Dead Body Found Wrapped in a Tarp in Goodwill Donation Bin

Man Was Held in Alaska ICE Detention for Weeks. Now

Toddler Dies After Being Left in Hot Car for Hours While Mom Got Lip Injections: Police

Jeffrey Epstein

Epstein's Brother Scoffs at FBI's Report Declaring He Killed Himself: 'I Laughed at How Stupid It Was'