EU top official expected to visit Iran soon

October 12, 2021 - 21:18

TEHRAN — A top European official is expected to fly to Tehran as soon as this week to seek an agreement to restart the nuclear talks between Iran and world powers after months of delays, officials with knowledge of the meetings said.

Western nations including the U.S. and Germany have repeatedly warned they’re not willing to wait forever for a new round of talks to begin after the last one stalled in June. 

European Union deputy foreign policy chief Enrique Mora is expected in the Iranian capital for talks within days, according to the officials, who asked not to be identified in line with diplomatic rules, BNN Bloomberg reported. 

Shuttle diplomacy between the participants in the talks -- China, France, Germany, Russia, the U.S. and U.K. -- has picked up recently, and a restart of broader talks could happen within the next three weeks, they said. 

Peter Stano, a spokesperson for the European Commission, declined to comment on any travel plans, saying it was part of the work of officials to see partners around the world. On the Iran negotiations, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has stressed repeatedly that “it is urgent to resume the Vienna talks very soon,” and the Iranian foreign minister had promised him a swift return to negotiations, Stano said.

On October 7, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said that Moscow hopes another round of the Vienna talks on restoring the deal will begin in the near future.

"We have taken note of the fact that all parties concerned are focused on faster coordination of a procedure for breathing a new life into the JCPOA. We hope that another round may take place in the near future," Maria Zakharova said, the TASS news agency reported.