Source: Iran-G5+1 Talks Underway in Earnest


Source: Iran-G5+1 Talks Underway in Earnest

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A source close to the Iranian team negotiating with the six major world powers in Geneva said the talks over Tehran’s nuclear program are continuing seriously.

Useful consultations have been held so far, the source added.

The comments came after Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton ended another session of talks in the Swiss city this evening.

The two high-ranking officials have held four sessions of meetings over the past two days, with the next session slated to take place at 18:30 Geneva time.

Ashton's spokesman, Michael Mann, on his Twitter page said that his boss is debriefing E3+3 (an alternative name for the G5+1) political directors, and that negotiations will resume later

Foreign Minister Zarif is also Iran’s top negotiator in the nuclear talks and Catherine Ashton oversees diplomacy with Iran on behalf of the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany).

Earlier today, Ashton's Speaker Michael Mann said substantial and detailed talks between Iran's foreign minister and the EU foreign policy chief resume in Geneva as the sides are seeking further progress.

Mann had also described the morning meeting between Ashton and Zarif as substantial and detailed, adding that the two got down to detailed work.

In a Wednesday message on his Facebook page, Zarif said that “serious and detailed talks” with Ashton on a potential “final agreement” will start on Thursday morning.

Iran and the G5+1 had a brief and introductory plenary session on Wednesday, focusing mainly on the process of the negotiations.

The negotiating sides agreed to resume the nuclear talks in bilateral meetings between different delegations, at the level of deputy chief negotiators.

Diplomats have refused to make public details of their demands and proposals or the outlines of the draft they could not agree on last time. But there are speculations that the interim deal would stop advance of Iran’s enrichment capacity and roll back part of its nuclear program for six months.

In return, Iran would see some of its funds frozen in foreign accounts released and trade in precious metals allowed, with the United States relaxing pressure on other countries not to buy Iranian oil, and other interim measures.

The Iranians have stressed that they want their right to enrich uranium inside the country to be recognized and also want sanctions imposed on their oil trade and banking and financial transactions to be eased.

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