Latest Round of Vienna Talks Not Successful: Macron
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French President Emmanuel Macron says amid a Middle Eastern tour that the Vienna talks were not successful.
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French President Emmanuel Macron with Abu Dhabi crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Dubai expo (AFP)
The Vienna talks were not successful, French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday, one day after the conclusion of the first round.
Macron, speaking at the UAE, asserted that the next round of talks could possibly "not reopen swiftly," warning that there could be a longer break in the talks that resumed on November 29.
"I think it's probable that this round of negotiations, given the positions, does not succeed," Macron said from Dubai. "It is most likely that these negotiations do not continue in the short term."
Macron also said he believed everyone acknowledges the truth: not negotiating and not trying to find a framework, whether on nuclear or regional issues, weaken everyone and contribute to the exacerbation of conflicts.
The French President stressed the necessity of including all the permanent members to the Iranian nuclear deal in the talks (the P5+1), meaning China, the United States, France, Russia, Britain, and Germany.
Macron saw that it was necessary to include those "concerned for their security" in the talks, namely the Gulf states and "Israel", arguing that it would be difficult to reach an agreement were they not included.
Iran's lead negotiator in the Vienna talks, Ali Bagheri Kani, told Friday Al Mayadeen his country was willing to suspend remedial measures if the opposing side removes its measures that violated the nuclear deal.
"Since we have presented the two drafts, we've held several meetings with the other teams in Vienna," he said, noting that Iran expects the other teams to "give us their legal answers and logical arguments to our suggestions."
Al Mayadeen's Vienna correspondent had reported earlier today that the "P4+1 and Iran will hold a final meeting for this round of talks this afternoon," adding that the diplomats intend to return home for consultations.
Macron working with Saudi "to help Lebanon"
French President Emmanuel Macron received a lot of criticism and sparked outrage for including Saudi Arabia in his tour after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of the Saudi regime.
To defend his visit, Macron argued that it was to help Lebanon and the Middle East. "Who can think for one second that we can help Lebanon and preserve peace and stability in the Middle East if we say: 'We're not going to speak to Saudi Arabia, the most populated and most powerful country in the Gulf'?" he told media.
"It doesn't mean that I endorse anything, that I've forgotten, that we're not demanding partners," he said, adding that he was acting "for our country and in the interests of the region."
He said he hoped for progress on the Lebanese crisis in the coming hours, underscoring that he would do everything he could to re-engage the Gulf region in the best interest of Lebanon.
Macron's positions come in light of the resignation of Lebanon's Information Minister, who said his resignation came due to a new initiative by Macron, which the latter asserted entailed discussions with Saudi Arabia and would require Kordahi's resignation.
