Iran, P5+1 start new round of expert level talks
Tehran and the P5+1 group of countries have started a new round
of expert level talks in Vienna.
The talks are co-presided by director general for political and
international security affairs of Iran's Foreign Ministry Hamid
Baeidinejad and Stephen Clement, an aide to the European Union
foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, IRNA News Agency reported on
October 22.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said that 90
percent of the negotiations have been completed and the two sides
are taking the final steps.
However, she said that the reaching agreement on the remaining
issues is difficult.
According to Afkham, the two sides are not interested in extending
the 24-November deadline set for striking a final and comprehensive
deal.
Iran and P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security
Council comprising of China, France, Russia, Britain, the US Plus
Germany) sealed an interim deal in Geneva on November 24 to pave
the way for the full resolution of the West's decade-old dispute
with Iran over the country's nuclear energy program.
The Geneva deal took effect on January 20 and expired on July 20.
However the two sides agreed to extend their talks for four months
till Nov. 24 to reach a permanent deal on Iran's disputed nuclear
program.
In exchange for Iran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its
nuclear activities, the US and its allies agreed to lift some of
the existing sanctions against Tehran.