Iran seeking win-win deal in Vienna: MP
TEHRAN - A senior Iranian lawmaker has said Iran is seeking to make a win-win deal at the Vienna talks aimed at removing U.S. sanctions on Iran.
Mahmoud Abbaszadeh Meshkini, spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian parliament, said that removing all U.S. sanctions on Iran is a priority for Tehran.
“The Islamic Republic is looking for a win-win agreement, and it looks like we will reach a relatively good agreement with the parties by the end of this year,” he said in an interview with the Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency (ICANA), referring to the Iranian calendar year ending on March 20.
He said, “The Americans want to maintain the structure of sanctions, but the Islamic Republic knows their purpose, so it is not affected by their pressure. The Americans and the Westerners are conveying concerns to us and tending to impose a bad deal on Iran, meaning that they will benefit from the deal with us without benefiting Iran.”
According to Meshkini, the priority of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the lifting of all sanctions, but the priority of the Americans is to limit Iran's nuclear technology and shut down Iran's nuclear industries.
He noted, “We negotiate well because we have the experience of previous rounds of negotiations and the JCPOA is a valuable experience for us. In the past, we could not include the necessary guarantees in the JCPOA, and the United States withdrew from the agreement at no cost, so this experience is very valuable to us.”
The lawmaker added, “The Islamic Republic has gone through maximum sanctions. Of course, the people were under a lot of livelihood pressures, and this passage was not without cost, but the Americans imposed economic pressures on the people with the aim of imposing further cost. Sanctions have been almost neutralized and our oil sales are increasing daily.”
Meshkini added, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has found good regional and trans-regional partners during this period, and according to the 25-year agreement between Iran and China, it is planned to invest about $400-500 billion in the country. China and Russia also helped us a lot in the negotiations. They are not like the previous periods.”
The lawmaker said Iran’s chief negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, and his team enjoy domestic backing. “And they have been told that if the other side showed intransigence, do not insist. So, the Islamic Republic is looking for a win-win agreement.”
Meshkini concluded, “I do not see a relatively good agreement out of reach and it seems that we will reach a relatively good agreement with the parties by the end of this year.”
Earlier on Sunday, Meshkini told the Khabaronline news website that Iran holds “golden cards” in the Vienna talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“By the Westerners’ account, we have gotten through the sanctions and we have good golden cards to play in the negotiations. We believe that reaching a good and win-win agreement is possible,” he pointed out.
He added, “Before the end of the year 1400, we will reach a conclusion and an agreement will be reached. Of course, it does not matter when we reach a conclusion, but it is important that we reach a good result, and that is why we have the initiative and we manage the negotiations.”
The senior MP added, “The last and most dangerous tool of the negotiating parties was the sanctions that the Islamic Republic has gotten through. We are at the center of the formation of a power bloc in the East. One which has the three pillars of Iran, Russia, and China. More than $500 billion will be invested in the highly strategic industries of our country by virtue of an agreement with China.”
Fada Hossein Malek, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian parliament, said that good steps have been taken in regards to the removal of illegal sanctions on Iran, Fars reported on Sunday.
He pointed out that the Vienna talks are underway in two areas: lifting sanctions and nuclear steps.
“In the areas of sanctions, very good steps have been taken and the other side has accepted that there is a determination in the new (Iranian) government that all sanctions should be lifted,” Maleki stated.
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