TEHRAN — Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri visited Moscow late on Thursday after talks in Brussels with Enrique Mora, political director of the European External Action Service (EEAS).

"We will share our views on the requirements of a new round of talks to lift sanctions with our Russian friends so that we can enter into talks with a common vision," Fars quoted Bagheri as saying.

In the new Iranian government, Bagheri has replaced Abbas Araghchi in the nuclear talks with the remaining parties to the JCPOA. The talks are intended to force the United States to rejoin the JCPOA and lift sanctions on Iran that were imposed under the Trump administration. 

Mora is the coordinator of the talks between Iran and the remaining parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal – JCPOA – and the United States. 

"As you are aware, Mr. Mora was in Tehran on Thursday, October 14 and we had talks, and then there were talks on Wednesday (October 27) which were constructive, serious and frank in order to form the framework of talks on the lifting of illegal and oppressive sanctions in the new era," Bagheri stated.

The deputy foreign minister noted that Iranian diplomats presented their view and the requirements that Iran believes should be observed in these talks, and it was agreed that Mora would discuss these views with the remaining nuclear deal parties, namely France, Russia, China, the UK and Germany, known as the P4+1.

Speaking to the IRIB correspondent, Bagheri said: "There is a view that we should talk to the P4+1 countries in the same framework, and accordingly, in the first step, according to the agreement reached with Mr. Ryabkov (Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia), I was invited to Moscow to share our views on the requirements of a new round of talks to lift illegal and oppressive sanctions with Russian friends."

Given the wide and diverse bilateral relations we have with Russia, Bagheri highlighted that his talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov will mostly focus on relations between Tehran and Moscow.

"Both on the issues and problems in the relations between the two countries and the removal of these obstacles and problems, as well as on opening new windows in bilateral relations in order to promote cooperation in various fields that can serve the interests of both countries in areas of mutual interest."

Regarding the time and place of the talks with the P4+1, Bagheri said: "I believe that what is important in the new round of talks is the readiness of the other side to make a serious decision on the lifting of oppressive and illegal sanctions."

On whether the U.S. will participate in the talks as it has welcomed the talks in Brussels, he said: "Our talks are with 4+1."

Bagheri was scheduled to meet with Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister and chief negotiator in the Vienna nuclear talks, and Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian president's special envoy for the Middle East and Africa on Friday.

The Iranian top diplomat after five hours of talks on Wednesday with Mora tweeted, "I had serious and constructive talks on the essential elements of successful negotiations with Enrique Mora. We agreed to start negotiations before the end of November. The exact date will be announced next week."

It should be noted that Bagheri held talks in Brussels on the effective lifting of sanctions and the adherence of other parties to their commitments.

The deputy foreign minister pointed to the experience of several years of non-compliance to the commitments to the JCPOA and unilateral and illegal withdrawal of the U.S. from the agreement, stating, “What matters to Iran is the effective lifting of sanctions and the normalization of trade and economic relations with Iran, and any agreement must meet Iran's demands in this regard."