Kerry, Fabius discuss Iran as talks deadline approaches
US's Kerry rules out extension of nuclear talks deadline as Iran and P5+1 group are seeking final nuclear agreement that might lead to a lifting of international sanctions on Iran
By Hajer M'tiri
PARIS
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Thursday that there is still some way to go to reach an agreement with Iran over its nuclear program.
"Important points of difference remain," Fabius told a joint press conference in Paris with Kerry, who said he shared Fabius' view and noted that the major powers meeting Iranian officials this week in Vienna had a united approach.
Kerry said on Thursday that the powers were "not discussing an extension" of the deadline to the talks.
Iran and the P5+1 group -- comprised of the U.S., UK, France, China, Russia and Germany -- are seeking a final nuclear agreement that might lead to a lifting of international sanctions on Iran and have set a deadline for Nov. 24, 2014.
Kerry told reporters in his own press conference that Fabius had given him a document listing four main points on the talks, and that he generally agreed with them.
"We may have minor differences here and there on numbers, but not on the fundamental principles," Kerry said.
Asked if those differences might cause an extension of the Nov. 24 deadline, Kerry responded before leaving for Vienna: "We are not discussing an extension. We are negotiating to have an agreement. It’s that simple."
Last year, an important round of negotiations with Iran was complicated by reports saying that the French were insisting that the American position should be toughened.
However, as Kerry arrived in Vienna on Thursday, Aljazeera America said that the deadline may be extended from Monday to March, quoting officials close to the talks.
