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Austrian Ambassador to India Robert Zischg on Tuesday said that negotiations involving the United States and Iran over regional tensions in West Asia are complex and will require patience, noting that breakthroughs for the final agreement should not be expected in the near term.
In an interview with ANI, Zischg said the West Asia region has remained a prolonged conflict zone for decades, with recent escalations, including tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, adding to instability. "This has been a conflict zone for many, many years; now with the recent escalation and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, it has now reached another high, or actually low, point," he said. He said diplomatic efforts are once again underway to find a peaceful resolution, particularly with regard to Iran, but stressed that past experience shows negotiations are difficult and time-consuming. "Negotiations are underway again to find a peaceful solution for this particular problem, in particular with regard to Iran," he said, recalling Austria's role in hosting the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiations, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was signed in Vienna before the United States withdrew in 2018 under President Donald Trump during his first term in office. Zischg also underlined that diplomatic progress should not be rushed. "Breakthroughs are not around the corner, and one needs to exercise patience, not expect a breakthrough tomorrow; maybe it will be tomorrow, or maybe it will be in two weeks' time," he said. He further said that the issue extends beyond Iran and involves multiple regional stakeholders. "It's not about Iran; it's about the neighbouring countries, about Israel and Lebanon. So it has been a very complex conflict zone which has been ongoing actually now for many decades," he noted. Highlighting Austria's diplomatic stance, the Ambassador said Vienna continues to position itself as a neutral platform for dialogue, similar to Switzerland, where the US and Iran agreed to establish a High-Level Committee and a roadmap towards a final agreement within 60 days earlier this month. "Austria, as a neutral country, we've also offered Vienna as a place for negotiations, and if we can, we also lend a hand in trying to resolve issues," he said. He added that Austria maintains long-standing diplomatic relations with Iran and continues to support communication channels between conflicting parties. "We are happy that we are one of several lines of communication if both sides or the conflict parties see fit also to use those channels," he said. He also emphasised the importance of maintaining dialogue on broader issues such as human rights, nuclear non-proliferation, and disarmament in relation to Iran, while underlining that sustained diplomatic engagement remains essential for de-escalation in the region. "But of course, respect for human rights and the pillars of non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament - these are the topics which are true, but I mean those channels of communication are very important and we are happy that we are one of several lines of communication if both sides or the conflict parties see fit also to use those channels," Zischg said. (ANI)
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