UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon welcomed the announcement of a deal reached between Iran and the West regarding the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program Tuesday, as diplomats from both sides and the EU met in Vienna in a final closed session.

“I warmly welcome the historic agreement in Vienna today and congratulate the P5+1 and Iran for reaching this agreement,” he began, speaking from Addis Ababa. “This is testament to the value of dialogue.”

“I know that an immense amount of work went into this, and I admire the determination and the commitment of the negotiators – as well as the courage of the leaders who approved the deal that was so painstakingly worked out by their teams in Vienna and elsewhere,” he continued.

“I hope – and indeed believe – that this agreement will lead to greater mutual understanding and cooperation on the many serious security challenges in the Middle East,” he added. “As such it could serve as a vital contribution to peace and stability both in the region and beyond.”

“The United Nations stands ready to fully cooperate with the parties in the process of implementing this historic and important agreement.”

Ban’s praise surfaces despite the fact that exact terms of the agreement have yet to be published, with contradictory reports emerging on the scope of concessions the West has made to Iran in the deal.