Russia and the US would need strong political will and Moscow would do its utmost to find mutually acceptable solutions, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told RIA Novosti on Tuesday, commenting on the meeting of a joint commission on the JCPOA in Vienna and the beginning of the work of expert groups on the settlement of the nuclear deal.
Ryabkov noted in particular that he agrees with the US State Department's assessments voiced the day before that "the process will not be simple."
"First, because there is no trust between Tehran and Washington - no trust at all, and it is clear that there can't be. So reaching any agreements is extremely difficult, then they require some verification, which in itself is also a very, very sensitive and complex issue. But even without that, since the process of departure from the original parameters of the JCPOA has gone quite far, the return requires a lot of political will," said Ryabkov, who was at the origin of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear program reached in 2015.
"The Iranians believe that it (return to the JCPOA - ed.) can be achieved in a single moment: there will be agreed measures to be taken by the US and Iran. Then, after this agreement is reached, there comes the phase of implementation of these measures, which, according to the Iranians, can be relatively short-lived. I admit that this is true, but it will take much effort to reach this point," the Deputy Foreign Minister added.
He said he couldn't predict how long it would take to agree on all aspects. This will be done by members of the expert groups in Vienna.
"We do not have more clarity at this moment, but as a responsible member of the JCPOA, we will do our best to promote the appropriate solutions. We have been doing this every day last week in different formats, on the phone and in teleconferences and videoconferences, discussing this issue and developing approaches, promoting our ideas that we have and that we have shared with everyone, including the US and Iran," Ryabkov stated.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from RIA Novosti