Lavrov Says Cautiously Optimistic on Iran Nuclear Talks

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RIA Novosti, PUBLISHED 28.09.2014

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday he remained 'cautiously optimistic' about the prospects of talks between international mediators and Tehran on Iran's nuclear program.

"I retain cautious optimism on talks over Iranian nuclear program," Lavrov told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.

"We are very close [to agreeing the deal] in terms of the work on the text, but the remaining parts are dealing with the most difficult issues, or as they say - the devil is in the detail," Lavrov said.

"We will do our utmost to make sure that remaining small but extremely important issues be resolved in a way that is acceptable to all," he said.

"We still have time until November 24 - the deadline set by negotiating teams," Lavrov added.

The West and Israel accuse Iran of attempting to develop a nuclear weapon under the guise of a civilian nuclear program. Tehran argues that its nuclear development is aimed purely at meeting the country's growing energy needs and achieving other peaceful goals.

In November 2013, during the talks held in Geneva, the P5+1 group of international mediators comprising Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, and Germany agreed to reach a deal with the Tehran delegation guaranteeing the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program by July 2014. The deadline for the agreement was later postponed to November 2014

On Thursday, during his speech at UN General Assembly, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani once again confirmed Tehran's readiness to secure a historic nuclear deal with the West, but underscored that Iran was not going to give up its peaceful nuclear program.

Topics: Iran, Russia

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