WASHINGTON: The European Union’s diplomatic chief Josep Borrell said on Friday he was “ready” to meet Iranian leaders in Brussels as part of efforts to revive the faltering 2015 nuclear deal, but warned that “time is pressing.”

“I know that the Iranians want to have some kind of previous talks with me as coordinator and with some members of the board of the JCPOA,” Borrell told journalists in Washington, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as the deal is formally known.

EU envoy Enrique Mora was in Tehran on Thursday to press for a firm date for resuming talks on the deal between the Islamic republic and world powers, which have stalled since June.

Tehran said following the discussions that Iran and the EU had agreed to hold further dialogue in Brussels within days.

“I cannot tell you a precise date. I am ready to receive them, if needed,” said Borrell, who met a day earlier with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“I’m ready, I’m ready to do that. If they want to come to Brussels and to talk with me, and to talk with some other members of the board, again, we certainly have to do that,” said Borrell.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2021