Striking final nuclear deal with Iran needs powers' 'seriousness, flexibility'

A senior Iranian negotiator in talks with the Group 5+1 (the US, China, France, Russia and Britain plus Germany) underlined that striking a final deal between Iran and the world powers depends on the resolve and good intention of the opposite side.
"We seriously continue to the negotiations and we hope that the other side will also have the needed seriousness and flexibility to enable us to strike a comprehensive agreement before November 24," Majid Takht Ravanchi, who is also an Iranian deputy foreign minister, said in a meeting with Yves Rossier, the secretary of state at the Swiss foreign ministry in Geneva on Tuesday.
The Iranian deputy foreign minister underlined Tehran's seriousness in the talks with the world powers, and said the opposite side is also required to show the same attitude.
Meantime, Takht Ravanchi pointed to the status quo of Iran-Switzerland relations, and said, "There are abundant capacities for the expansion of bilateral ties, specially in economic fields, which should be utilized by the two countries."
Rossier, for his part, underlined Switzerland's resolve to cooperate with Iran in different bilateral and international areas.
On Monday, Takht Ravanchi said a final deal over Iran's nuclear issue should include a removal of all sanctions imposed against Iran.
"Iran's expectation from the Western countries in these negotiations is the removal of all the sanctions as per agreements and after singing the comprehensive agreement," said Majid Takht Ravanchi in a meeting with Chairperson of the French Parliament's Defense Committee Patricia Adam in Tehran.
He noted that Iran is fully ready to reach a comprehensive agreement with the West if the G5+1 countries show a political will to this end.
Earlier this month, Washington imposed sanctions on over 25 individuals and companies, including shipping firms, oil companies, airlines and six banks over alleged links with Iran.
The sanctions come as Iran and the six countries are in talks to reach a final agreement aimed at resolving the standoff over Tehran’s civilian nuclear work.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif left Tehran for New York on Tuesday morning to participate in the next round of nuclear talks between Iran and the six major world powers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting.
On September 1, Zarif and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton met in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss the process of the ongoing nuclear talks.
Last November, the two sides signed an interim deal in Geneva, which took effect on January 20 and expired six months later on July 20. In July, Tehran and the six countries agreed to extend negotiations until November 24 after they failed to reach an agreement on a number of key issues.