Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has hoped for "very meaningful progress" from the negotiations, as Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers hold a new round of talks in the Kazakh city of Almaty.

"I sincerely hope that through this P5+1 negotiation there will be very meaningful progress," he told a press conference in Madrid on Thursday after meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Press TV reported on Friday.

He added that he has been discussing Iran's nuclear issue with Iranian authorities and emphasized that Tehran should prove that its "nuclear development program is genuinely for peaceful purposes."

The UN chief also told IRNA that he has held talks with the European Union foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, adding that she has an "optimistic and logical" view about the negotiations.

Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers have started a fresh round of two-day comprehensive talks in Almaty with the main focus being on Iran's nuclear energy program.

The Iranian delegation is headed by Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili while the EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, represents the P5+1 group -- Britain, China, France, Russia, the US and Germany.

Ahead of the talks with Iran the European Union foreign policy chief, Ashton said remains cautiously optimistic about the outcomes of talks.

Ashton said she hopes that the meeting in Almaty will be successful and Iran will now consider the proposal by P5+1 Group and respond to it.

Besides, spokesman for the EU Chief Ashton, Michael Mann said on Thursday that the P5+1 group of world powers intends to give a positive response to Iran's proposals as discussed during the first round of talks between Tehran and the P5+1 in Almaty.

"Let's be absolutely clear. Nobody is denying the right for Iran or any other country to have nuclear technology for medical purposes or energy purposes," Mann said.

The EU official added, "What these talks are about is addressing the international community's very clear concerns that have been highlighted by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and the UN" with regards to Iran's nuclear energy program.

Earlier in the day, the SNSC Secretary Saeed Jalili urged the world powers to recognize Tehran's right to enrich uranium under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The two sides have already held several rounds of talks the last of which took place in Almaty on February 26-27.

The six world powers offered to ease a ban on trade with Iran in gold and other precious metals, and a relaxation of an import embargo on Iranian petrochemical products at this meeting.

In return, Iran would have to suspend uranium enrichment to a fissile concentration of 20 percent at its Fordow facility and constrain the ability to quickly resume operations there.

The United States, Israel and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program, with the United States and the EU employing this as grounds to impose several rounds of sanctions against Tehran.

Tehran refutes the allegations, saying that as a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.