France wants a definitive nuclear deal with Iran.

(Baonghean.vn) - France wants a nuclear agreement with Iran, but on the condition that there is a sufficiently strong verification mechanism to check Tehran's compliance with the terms.French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said this on Monday, June 22nd.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif after a joint press conference with his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias in Athens on May 28.

Fabius expressed this view after a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was in Luxembourg for talks with European ministers ahead of negotiations in Vienna this week on the final phase of talks regarding Iran's nuclear program.

Iran and six world powers are nearing a June 30 deadline to reach an agreement that would restrict Iran's nuclear program for at least a decade in exchange for bailout packages and the lifting of sanctions.

"France wants a deal, but a strong deal, not a bad one," Fabius said in a brief statement to reporters after an hour of talks with Zarif. That deal would have to include time limits on Iran's nuclear research and production capabilities and an optimal mechanism for verifying Iran's compliance with the agreement. This mechanism could include the establishment of military zones "if necessary," he said.

At the same time, sanctions will be automatically reactivated if Iran violates its commitments, Fabius said. "All of that is extremely important for regional security and the goal of nuclear non-proliferation."

Negotiations on Iran's nuclear program are also a top concern for other European foreign ministers. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressed that the talks have entered a "decisive phase," while British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the talks could go beyond the June 30 deadline.

"Iran will need to be more flexible to reach an agreement, but it's difficult to say for sure when the negotiations will conclude, although we all expect them to be done on schedule," Hammond said. "So I think serious negotiations need to be underway now and in the coming week, I hope we will start to see real progress."

Phuong Thao

(According to Reuters)