Any nuclear deal with Iran should be robust enough to guarantee that Tehran could not acquire an atomic bomb, France’s foreign minister said Saturday.
“France wants an agreement, but a robust one that really guarantees that Iran can have access to civilian nuclear power, but not the atomic bomb,'' Laurent Fabius told Europe 1 radio.
He spoke as leaders met with Secretary of State John Kerry to discuss progress in the talks, which are in recess and will begin again next week.
France has been demanding more stringent restrictions on the Iranians under any deal than the other Western delegations, officials said.
"We made a lot of progress," Kerry told reporters outside a restaurant in Lausanne, Switzerland where the talks were held.
Earlier, Iran's foreign minister Javad Zarif pledged to stick around for "as long as necessary" to reach a deal in the negotiations.
IN-DEPTH
- White House Warns Senate on Iran Legislation
- Iran’s Zarif Says He’ll Stay ‘as Long as Necessary’ at Nuclear Talks
- Obama: Iran Must Halt Key Nuclear Work for at Least a Decade
