Five major powers agree for more talks in an attempt to save nuclear deal

DW: The Foreign ministers from Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia met in Vienna on Friday with their Iranian counterpart to discuss an economic plan that could save the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and took 12 years to negotiate.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, who chaired the meeting, said the five major powers agreed to continue talks on saving the nuclear deal.

The ongoing talks will involve a package of incentives that include European Investment Bank lending, a special measure to protect EU companies from US sanctions and encouraging EU governments to make direct money transfers to Iran’s central bank.

Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia also agreed to enlist the help of other countries in order to save the accord.

“The participants will work on the above issues (…) with international partners in order to encourage them to follow the same policies and to establish similar mechanisms in their economic relations with Iran,” Mogherini said

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Friday’s meeting was a step forward, but that Tehran is still undecided on whether to continue upholding the pact.

“We definitely want to stick to the nuclear deal, but the final decision will be taken in Tehran,” Zarif said.