Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

The representatives of Iran and the P5+1 Group has ended the first plenary session of the high-level nuclear talks at the UN Office in Vienna on February 18.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton's spokesman, Michael Mann tweeted that the first plenary session of P5+1 Group and Iran nuclear talks has ended, which now continue in bilateral format.

Mann said the main task of negotiating session between the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - China, Russia, Britain, France and the United States -- plus Germany and Iran was to develop a framework for further progress towards a comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, RIA Novosti reported.

He said the P5+1Group hopes for progress, but do not expect that the agreement will be worked out on this round.

After the first plenary session, which lasted less than an hour, the representatives from the U.S., UK, Germany, France, China, Russia and Iran, as well as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, who coordinates the meeting, started a series of bilateral meetings between the participants.

Mann said the further plan of the session has not been determined.

Iran and the P5+1 reached a nuclear agreement in last November. Iran has agreed to curb some of its nuclear activities for six months in return for sanctions relief. Iran and the P5+1 group have agreed to implement the agreement starting from January 20.

Under the agreement, six major powers agreed to give Iran access to $4.2 billion in revenues blocked overseas if it carries out the deal, which offers sanctions relief in exchange for steps to curb the Iranian nuclear program.

The U.S. and some of its Western allies suspect Iran of developing a nuclear weapon - something that Iran denies.