Kerry says sides ‘making progress’ in nuclear talks

Negotiations in Vienna face tough issues in final push to agreement; deadline extended to July 7

By AFP 1 July 2015, 9:00 pm 2

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From left, US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, US Secretary of State John Kerry and US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, sit during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at a hotel in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, June 28, 2015. (Carlos Barria/Pool Photo via AP)

Talks between Iran and major powers towards a nuclear deal are facing tough issues but are making progress, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday during a break from talks in Vienna.

“We are working very, very hard and we have some very difficult issues but we believe we’re making progress and we’re going to continue to work because of that,” Kerry told reporters.

His comments, a day after negotiators gave themselves until July 7 to agree a deal, followed a meeting in the Austrian capital with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Earlier Zarif said, “We have made progress and we will make progress and we will use every opportunity to make progress.”

The foreign ministers of France and China, Laurent Fabius and Wang Yi, were expected to join the negotiations in Vienna Thursday along with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

The aim is to finalize a framework accord agreed in April under which Iran will curb its nuclear activities — making any drive to make nuclear weapons all but impossible — in exchange for relief from painful sanctions.