Iran, EU3 end first round of nuclear talks in Istanbul
ILNA: Iran and the European Union members of the P5 + 1 group have concluded their first round of negotiations over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program in Turkey.
On Thursday, the Islamic Republic and the EU three - - France, Germany and the United Kingdom - - wrapped up ۲.۵ hours of negotiations in the northwestern city of Istanbul.
The second round of negotiations was planned to kick off at ۱۲۳۰ GMT.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi is leading Iran’s negotiating team in the one - day talks.
Hans - Dieter Lucas, Simon Lawrance Gass and Nicolas de Riviere, respectively represent Germany, the UK and France in the Istanbul talks.
Helga Schmid, EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini’s deputy, is also attending the negotiations.
Before the beginning of the talks on Thursday, Araqchi said Iran seeks to expedite the nuclear talks to find a solution to the differences with the P۵ + ۱ countries.
Iran and the P۵ + ۱ countries - the US, France, Britain, China, Russia and Germany – are in talks to secure a final comprehensive deal over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear work.
On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tehran and the P۵ + ۱ group are close to reaching a final deal over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, adding that details are now being worked out in the talks.
“We are done with the generalities and have begun[discussing] details. Iran’s[uranium] enrichment program and the continuation of the nuclear program have been approved, ” Zarif said on Tuesday.
Since an interim deal was agreed in Geneva in November ۲۰۱۳, the negotiating sides have missed two self - imposed deadlines to ink a final agreement.
Iran and the six powers now seek to reach a high - level political agreement by March ۱ and to confirm the full technical details of the accord by July ۱.