Russia Expresses 'Serious' Concern Over Slowdown in Iran Nuclear Negotiations

Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister and senior negotiator for Russia in nuclear talks with Iran, stated that the 'slow progress' of these negotiations is 'very concerning.' On Friday, June 22, he told the RIA Novosti news agency that 'the pace of the negotiations is gradually slowing down.' Ryabkov described this issue as 'very concerning' for Moscow, attributing this worry to the 'very little time' left until the deadline for the nuclear negotiations. He emphasized that 'we need to enter the final stage immediately.' This senior Russian negotiator expressed his concerns upon arriving in Vienna, the capital of Austria, to participate in the latest round of nuclear talks. Iran, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, and China have set July 1 of this year as their final deadline to reach a comprehensive and final agreement on how to continue the Islamic Republic's nuclear program and lift sanctions against Iran. The Russian news agency Itar-Tass also reported, citing a source, that in the latest round of talks, Iranian negotiators and representatives of global powers did not achieve 'significant progress' in drafting the final agreement text. This source stated: 'The negotiations have practically stalled, and there is a possibility of extending the deadline.' Hamid Baidi-Nejad, a member of Iran's nuclear negotiating team, also indirectly confirmed the slowdown in negotiations on his Instagram page, reporting a 'serious willingness' from Tehran and the P5+1 to 'accelerate progress' in the negotiations. Resolving potential aspects of Iran's nuclear program, access for international inspectors to nuclear and non-nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic, and the manner of lifting sanctions against Iran are the main points of contention between the negotiating parties.