WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — At present, Iran and the P5+1 group of countries, which is comprised of the United States, China, France, Russia and the United Kingdom plus Germany, are negotiating the final comprehensive agreement that will ensure the peaceful nature of Tehran's nuclear program and gradually remove economic sanctions.
“If a final agreement is not reached by the end of the day today, all of the parties will agree to at least a short-term extension of the interim agreement to allow the conversations to continue,” Earnest said on Monday.
Earnest noted the negotiating parties had already made “genuine progress” in the conversations, adding that some key issues have been closed and the list of differences has been narrowed.
“Some of the most difficult issues are the ones that get kicked to the end, and that’s why the President [Obama] is going resist any effort to fast-forward through the closing here,” Earnest said.
The progress that has been made indicate that negotiations are useful, Earnest noted, adding that the negotiating team is planning to remain in Vienna. The deadline for reaching a final, comprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear program was first set for June 30, but has been postponed several times.
“The expectation right now is that the talks will continue, and I’m not aware of any plans to take a break,” he said.
