There is “not an agreement at this point in time,” Kerry told reporters after making an unscheduled stop in Geneva to participate in the nuclear talks. “We hope to try to narrow those differences but I don’t think anybody should mistake that there are some important gaps that have to be closed.”

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to the press upon his arrival in Geneva on Nov. 8, 2013

Kerry joined counterparts from France, Germany and the U.K., who also arrived today in the Swiss city to seek an accord over Iran’s disputed nuclear work. He’ll meet Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif later today after consulting European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

During two days of talks in Geneva, world powers have edged closer to an accord over Iran’s disputed nuclear work. While all the details have yet to be worked out, a framework has been agreed upon, Zarif said yesterday in an interview. Iran has been offered “limited, targeted and reversible relief” from sanctions in return for concrete and verifiable concessions on its nuclear work, White House spokesman Jay Carney said in Washington.

Talks are at a “sensitive and critical stage” and Kerry’s presence is needed to resolve issues where differences remain, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told journalists.

‘Utterly Rejects’

Kerry arrived after making another unscheduled visit to Israel early today to talk with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said he “utterly rejects” and “is not obliged” by any potential agreement that may emerge from the Geneva meetings.

“I understand that the Iranians are walking around very satisfied in Geneva, as well they should be, because they got everything and paid nothing,” Netanyahu said.

Tensions over Iran have frayed relations that Netanyahu and the White House have worked to repair in recent months. The Israeli leader has urged the U.S. and five other powers taking part in talks with Iran — France, Germany, the U.K., Russia and China — to reject any proposal unless it ensures a halt to all uranium enrichment and the construction of a reactor that could produce plutonium.

Iran is willing to limit the “size, scope and dimensions” of its enrichment program without bringing it to a complete halt,Araghchi said. Iran had previously signaled it’s willing to make compromises, shelving a demand for immediate recognition on the right to enrich uranium, and saying it may be ready to limit its stockpile of uranium enriched to 20 percent purity.

International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors who monitor Iran’s 17 declared nuclear facilities are due to fly to Tehran next week. They’re seeking access to people and sites that they’re barred from visiting, to investigate a possible military dimension to Iran’s nuclear program. The Persian Gulf nation of 80-million people insists its nuclear work is peaceful.

]]> http://ibfon.org/kerry-says-no-iran-nuclear-deal-yet-as-critical-gaps-remain/feed/ 0 http://ibfon.org/larijani-one-must-be-kidding-to-campaign-on-anything-other-than-economic-problems/ http://ibfon.org/larijani-one-must-be-kidding-to-campaign-on-anything-other-than-economic-problems/#comments Thu, 06 Jun 2013 20:17:54 +0000 http://ibfon.org/?p=166 Continue reading →]]> Ali Larijani said in a talk show on the national TV last night “The candidates must take care that their words do not violate the country’s national interests. They must note that their words today may become codes and be misused later on.”

The Majlis Speaker then pointed to the issue of talks with the US offered by some candidates and said “It is a kind of rashness to make such a big thing out of the US issue. Analysts over in the US also believe that such prioritizing of issues in foreign policy has undergone a sort of collapse.”

Larijani also provided comments on his friendly relations with Javier Solana and said “My type of negotiating is so that I do not allow fragility to develop in relationships. After all they are also human beings and need to have close relations with the one before them so that they can be able to further matters. I had the feeling that there was no difference between us and the Taliban in their eyes. All in all towards the end of my term in the Secretariat of the National Security Supreme Committee I could reach a sort of mutual modality with Messrs. Solana and ElBaradei.”

The Majlis Speaker then said “The Iranian nuclear case had different phases and situations. The talks must always have framework and support. I think that when Mr. Solana held office things could be pursued more easily. Although he would pursue the matter with his own source of backing he enjoyed a certain amount of flexibility which prevented shaky talks.”

Larijani asserted that there is no time for populist words and said “The problem is clear and the remedy is also easy to discern. The remedy is what the Leader said, that is to promote production. Whoever campaigns based on anything else must be kidding.

“Today’s determination is another example of the international community’s strong and steady commitment to convince Iran to meet its international obligations.”

Kerry said the nine nations; China, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Taiwan, are on the exemption list because those countries have significantly reduced oil imports from Iran.

The top US diplomat also called the Tehran government to take “concrete actions” to address the concerns of the international community over the Islamic state’s controversial nuclear program, warning that otherwise it would face “increasing isolation and pressure.”

“The grounds are well prepared for Turkish businessmen to invest in Iran’s projects,” the Iranian envoy to Ankara said. 

“Industrial cities such as Tehran, Zanjan, Tabriz and Isfahan welcome Turkish investors for direct or indirect investments there,” Bigdeli added.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on new areas of economic cooperation between the two countries.

According to a recent report by Turkey’s statistics center, the value of trade balance between Tehran and Ankara reached $2.372bln in the first two months of 2013.

In January and February, Turkish exports to Iran rose by 4.3 percent while the imports registered 8.1 percent decline.

Earlier this month, Turkey’s Minister of Development Cevdet Yilmaz voiced Ankara’s willingness to boost trade and economic relations with Tehran, and called for stronger efforts by both sides’ officials to expand economic and trade ties between the two neighboring nations.

The Turkish Minister of Development made the remarks in a meeting with Bigdeli.

Yilmaz called on the two countries’ officials to do their best to increase the trade exchanges between Iran and Turkey.

Meantime, he noted that the value of Iran-Turkey annual trade exchanges should be increased to $35bln.

Iran and Turkey have recently expanded their bilateral relations, especially in trade and energy fields. Trade between Turkey and Iran has risen sharply over the past decade.

Iran-Turkey trade value exceeded $22bln in 2012.

Also, Turkey was Iran’s fifth-largest oil customer in 2011, buying around 200,000 barrels per day, 30 percent of its total imports and more than 7 percent of Iran’s oil exports.

The two countries officials stressed the necessity for stronger relations and pursuing the planned increase of mutual trade to $30bln by 2015.

“Unit One of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant which is now operational has remained fully unaffected in Tuesday’s Bushehr quake and the former quakes in the region,” an official of the Rosatom Company said. 

He noted that the preparations for putting the plant’s unit one to use are in progress under quite normal conditions.

“The published news in some media about the damages in a part of Unit One of the Bushehr plant due to the earthquake is quite baseless and a sheer lie,” the Rosatom official said.

The Bushehr nuclear power plant is located about 18 kilometers South of the provincial capital and about 160 kilometers away from the quake-stricken areas.

Peugeot affected by anti-Iranian Zionist lobby declared last year that it would end all of its activities in Iran as well as sending car parts to its Iranian partner. However, Renault adopting a different approach, had stressed its presence in Iran.

Renault Pars Company Managing Director Payman Kargar has already said that the second phase of the French company’s activities in Iran with the aim of diversifying products, boosting investment and starting exports, has begun in Iran.

Even a glance at outputs of L90 and 206 Peugeot as the top cars under Renault and Peugeot’s brand indicate that Renault is gaining Peugeot’s share in the Iranian market.

206 Peugeot output in Iran has decreased by 92 percent over the last two years, while Renault’s production line has been kept over the same period.

Experts believe that Peugeot is the main loser of political games of some warring states, while Renault has been the prime winner.

“Our target markets include Asian states, and particularly southeastern Asian markets among the three continents of Europe, Asia and Africa,” he told ISNA.

Iranian tradesmen are interested in southeast Asian markets, Tofiqi said, adding Africa is the second largest partner of Iran after Asia, although Iran exports less products to the country comparing to Asia.

Iranian Economy Minister Seyed Shamseddin Hosseini has already said Iran’s non-oil exports witnessed an eye-catching growth in the last Iranian year (ended March 20) despite the sanctions and restrictions imposed by the West on Tehran.

“The value of the country’s non-oil goods exported last year hit $41.3 billion,” the Iranian economy minister said.

 He noted that the figure shows an increase as compared with last year due to growth in tourism sector and exports of agricultural and mineral products.

 Earlier this year, Head of the Exports Commission of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture Asadollah Asgaroladi said that his commission plans to equalize the volume of the country’s non-oil exports and imports in the next Iranian year (started March 21).

 “If we are due to import goods worth about $60bln to $65bln, the country should have the same amount of exports,” Asgaroladi said in February.