Highlights from John Kerry's Remarks on Extension of Negotiations

The Facebook page of the U.S. State Department has published excerpts from the remarks of John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, regarding the extension of nuclear negotiations. Part of Mr. Kerry's remarks is as follows: I also want to take this opportunity to thank Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. The Foreign Minister of Iran has worked hard and diligently. He has entered these discussions with good faith and strong determination, which is what is necessary to resolve such difficult issues. We have made real and fundamental progress in Vienna in recent days, and we have seen new ideas presented. This is why all of us, the six countries of the 1+5 group and Iran, are extending these discussions for another seven months, with the specific goal of concluding a political agreement within four months. Now we believe that reaching a comprehensive agreement that addresses the concerns of the international community is possible. At this point, we have reached a clear understanding of how the agreement will work, but significant points of disagreement remain that must be resolved. The United States and our European partners and the 1+5 group – Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China, countries that do not always necessarily agree with each other, all have an understanding of how to achieve a sustainable agreement. A lasting agreement must first and foremost block all of Iran's pathways to obtaining fissile material for building a nuclear bomb. A lasting agreement must include a new level of transparency and verification beyond the broader access we have had under the Joint Action Plan. Under a comprehensive agreement, while these conditions are met, it will also include the facilitation of sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program, which brought Iran to the negotiating table. And because of the nature of these discussions, we must not, and I emphasize we will not discuss the details of the talks in the coming days. I also want to emphasize that this agreement, like any other agreement, especially regarding security, cannot be based on trust, as trust cannot be built overnight. Instead, this agreement must be based on verification.