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Iran says ready for nuclear talks with P5+1 Group

20 August 2013 [17:07] - TODAY.AZ
Source: /AzerNews/

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Araqchi reiterated Iran's readiness to resume talks with the six world powers, but meantime stressed that negotiations should be "fruitful", Fars news agency reported.

"We are not willing to hold talks merely for the sake of talks and we do not accept this, we are calling for purposeful and fruitful negotiations to be held within a specified time framework," Araqchi noted.

He also underlined that the foreign ministry is waiting for President Hassan Rouhani to announce the new team of negotiators.

Rouhani, himself a former nuclear negotiator, has said before that his government will be adopting a moderate foreign policy and aim for normalizing and developing relations with regional and world countries.

Besides, on August 19, Iran's newly appointed Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has reaffirmed Tehran's intention to resume talks with the P5+1 group of world powers in view of a solution to Iran's nuclear issue, Press TV reported.

"Ashton contacted me and expressed her desire for the resumption of talks between Iran and the P5+1. In response, I reiterated that Iran is willing to resume talks," Zarif noted.

Ashton, who is the European Union foreign policy chief, is representing the P5+1 -- United States, France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany -- in their nuclear talks with Iran.

Zarif added in the phone conversation, he said that Iran favor a solution instead of merely engaging in talks.

According to a statement by Ashton's spokesperson, the EU foreign policy chief "underlined her continued determination and commitment to seek a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue," during her conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif.

Ashton expressed the P5+1's preparedness to work with the new Iranian negotiating team as soon as they were appointed.

Iran and the P5+1 group have held several rounds of talks on a range of issues, with the main focus being on Iran's nuclear energy program.

The two sides wrapped up their latest round of negotiations on April 6 in the Kazakh city of Almaty. An earlier meeting had been held in the city on February 26-27.

The U.S. and some of its Western allies suspect Iran of developing a nuclear weapon - something that Iran denies. However, Iran has on numerous occasions stated that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons, using nuclear energy for medical researches instead.
URL: http://www.today.az/news/regions/125519.html

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