Geneva, Iranian nuclear talks restart with "cautious optimism"
Geneva (AsiaNews / Agencies) - In a climate of cautious optimism the second round of talks between Iran and the 5 +1 Group (consisting of Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States plus Germany ) begins today in Geneva to solve the Iranian nuclear issue. Today and tomorrow the Tehran delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi , will discuss the details of the proposal presented in the dialogue session held on 16 October in Geneva , the first since the election of reformist President Hassan Rouhani .
Yesterday, in an interview on French TV France 24, Mohammad Javad Zarif , Iran's foreign minister , said that "we may come to an agreement by the end of this week," but stressed that this "this is the Iranian position". Today, the coordinator of Iran's foreign policy will also be in Geneva, but will participate in a summit on the Syrian conflict with the European Union 's top diplomat Catherine Ashton and the UN and Arab League envoy to Syria Lakdhar Brahimi. Later today he will fly to Rome to meet his Italian counterpart, Emma Bonino.
In past meetings Iran has expressed its openness to the possibility of reaching a compromise on the development of its facilities, including a reduction in the production of uranium enriched by 20 % , but only on condition that the world recognizes its right to have its own nuclear program. In recent years Tehran has always claimed it is conducting medical and energy research, not military.
Washington sources claim that the United States would be ready to offer Iran a reduction of economic sanctions in exchange for the suspension of the nuclear program. According to the International Monetary Fund, in 2013 the Iranian economy will contract by 1. 5%, after a record low of 1.9% in 2012. Over the past two years, Iran , considered the fourth largest producer of oil, has been forced to cut crude oil production by 2.2 million barrels per day in 2011 to less than 900 thousand in 2012. However, the contraction of its economy due to sanctions did not stop the Islamic Republic from allocating funds to its atomic plants, which allowed the completion of the Arak reactor opened in 2006 by Ahmadinejad.
Robert Einhorn , a former adviser to the U.S. government and in the past involved in talks on the Iranian nuclear issue, believes the 5 +1 Group must "halt Iran's advances in the program, so that while they're negotiating a comprehensive agreement, the Iranians are not capitalizing on the period by advancing. So far, the inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA), have checked 17 nuclear facilities . On November 11, IAEA delegates will go to Tehran to urge the Iranian government to grant more accurate tests.
The cautious optimism of the Group
5 +1 and Iran, however, is thwarted and Israel and Ayatollah Khamenei , Supreme
Leader of the Islamic Republic .
Yesterday,
Benjamin Netanyahu , the Israeli Prime Minister said he was opposed to any
agreement that would allow Iran to keep its nuclear technologies . The
Likud leader said that "as long as Tehran continues to enrich uranium with
the aim to build nuclear weapons , the delegates of the 5 +1 should maintain
and even increase pressure on the Iranian regime."
On
the other side, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is also critical. The
Supreme Leader is open to a successful conclusion of the talks, but warns that
Iranian diplomats are being attacked at home by the most extreme wing, who
consider the position of Zarif and other delegates " too soft " .
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