Russia says no big obstacles to finalize nuclear deal with Iran

“In diplomacy, it frequently happens that the finish line is the most difficult section of the road. We see no insurmountable obstacles in the process of ‘fine-tuning’ the restoration package,” director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Vladimir Yermakov stated in an interview with TASS on Saturday.

“The main thing is that all the involved parties should proceed from the good of the case, but not from the fleeting domestic political situation, which, as you know, is a variable. In this case, we certainly mean, first and foremost, our American counterparts. We hope that their statements and highest-level assurances about their willingness to return to the JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known as the Iran nuclear deal ) will not remain pre-election slogans of a figure of speech,” the diplomat stressed.

Speaking about the resumption of the Vienna talks aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal, the diplomat pointed out that it is a sophisticated mechanism of cooperation at various levels, from a political to an expert one.

“The contacts have been ongoing in several formats with varying degrees of intensity for a year. The delegations and capitals involved in this multifaceted work retain their interest in the JCPOA,” he noted.

Yermakov emphasized that the Iran nuclear deal has no reasonable alternative.

“It is crucial that the current US administration will rectify the mistakes and violations made by its predecessors. Washington should strictly comply with Resolution 2231 of the UN Security Council. A carefully calibrated balance of interests, on which the nuclear deal was built, should be restored, whereas the root causes of the crises and setbacks in the implementation of the JCPOA should be eliminated. It is generally clear how to do it,” he added.