Munich – AFP – 2/8/2015 – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif Sunday appeared to rule out any new extension to tough negotiations with world powers over his country’s suspect nuclear program, as he met top US diplomat John Kerry for new talks.
“I do not think another extension is in the interest of anyone, as I do not believe this extension was either necessary or useful,” Zarif told a global security conference, meeting in the southern German city of Munich.
“In my view extension is not useful, not conducive to an agreement, and all my energy and focus and that of my colleagues and I’m sure my negotiating partners …. are all focused on reaching an agreement as early as possible.”
Kerry and Zarif held a second round of talks here Sunday, meeting for about 90 minutes as they try to hammer out a political accord to rein in Iran’s atomic ambitions ahead of a March 31 deadline. Kerry was due to fly back to Washington later in the day.
Few details of the tough negotiations have leaked, but world powers are trying to ensure that Iran’s pathways to developing a nuclear weapon are cut, in return for a gradual easing of international sanctions which have crippled Iran’s economy.
Zarif refused to publicly discuss the details of the negotiations for an accord, but said “we are engaged in a very serious discussion.”
“We believe it is in our interest to show the world that our program is exclusively peaceful.”
But he also said: “I don’t think if we don’t have an agreement it will be the end of the world. We try, we fail.”