Iran Nuclear Talks Resume in Vienna Shadowed by Crimea Vote
By Kambiz Foroohar Mar 18, 2014 7:03 AM ET
The specter of Crimea hangs over Iran’s nuclear talks resuming today, as world powers locked in a confrontation over Russia’s move to annex the region find themselves on the same side during negotiations with the Islamic Republic.
Even as they clash over Ukraine, diplomats from Russia and the U.S. and European Union are seeking to build on November’s interim accord in Geneva, which froze some of Iran’s most sensitive nuclear work in return for limited sanctions relief.
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton had a “constructive” meeting today with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamad Javad Zarif before the world powers convened, her spokesman, Michael Mann, said in a statement. Yesterday, the EU imposed penalties on 21 Russians after a referendum paved the way for President Vladimir Putin to take control of Crimea. The White House slapped sanctions on seven top Russian officials.
Participants in the Iran talks have set a July deadline to reach a comprehensive long-term deal. The dispute between the West and Russia could become a bigger problem in the event of a setback to the negotiations, said Robert Einhorn, a former Iran negotiator at the U.S. State Department and now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
“Russia has never been supportive of sanctions but has recognized the utility of sanctions in motivating Iran to come to talks and negotiate seriously,” Einhorn said. If the talks collapse, “Russia may undermine the sanctions.”
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-17/iran-nuclear-talks-resume-in-vienna-overshadowed-by-crimea-vote.html