In Vienna, the seventh round of nuclear talks with Iran is taking place. This is the seventh round of discussions on the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which is now being negotiated by EU officials and China, France, Germany, Russia, the United States, and Iran.
According to reports, the purpose of the JCPOA is to restore the 2015 nuclear agreement, which the US withdrew from in 2018 under former President Donald Trump's administration, unilaterally reimposing sanctions on Iran.
Enrique Mora, the Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service, who presided over Thursday's negotiations, later told reporters that all sides are "extremely dedicated" to "reviving the JCPOA."
Because of the parties' opposing viewpoints, Mora acknowledged that discussions were challenging, but: "We're not starting from the beginning. All of the delegations have put in a lot of effort over the last several weeks, so we're off to a good start." He underlined the importance of being "very realistic" about what may be obtained. Russia's permanent envoy to international organisations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, claimed on Twitter that the meeting on Thursday was "very brief and constructive."
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