Sanctions removal on Geneva table: Ryabkov

Moscow, Dec 17, IRNA – Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said that lifting of anti-Iran sanctions is an issue on the table of the ongoing nuclear talks in Geneva. According to Itar Tass, Ryabkov said Arak nuclear reactor and the anti-Iran sanctions are two major issues that remained unresolved in the nuclear talks. The Russian top nuclear negotiator said as the Group 5+1 has been “dealing with the two issues as a package for a long time and an internal balance between the different components of the deal is very sensitive,' he would not give a priority to any of the two issues. Speaking to reporters upon arrival in Geneva for the 11th round of the nuclear talks which is scheduled for Wednesday, Ryabkov said that assessing which issue is more pressing would be harmful to the process of achieving a positive result in the talks. He said it is hard to foresee the outcome of the nuclear talks and that the amount of the progress made during the talks would be clear after it ends. Officials from Iran and the world six powers (US, Britain, Russia, France and China plus Germany) are to resume their nuclear talks in Switzerland later on Wednesday to resolve the remaining issues. The latest round of talks between Iran and P5+1 held in November in Vienna did not produce a comprehensive deal on Iran's nuclear program and the sides agreed to continue the discussions until July 2015./end