Iran hopes Moscow nuclear talks would be "step forward"

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi expressed hope that the upcoming nuclear talks in the Russian capital Moscow would be a "step forward" in resolving the existing differences between Iran and the West, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Monday.

Speaking at a meeting with visiting former president of the Austrian National Assembly Werner Fasslabend in Tehran on Sunday, Salehi stressed that the progress in the upcoming talks between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) in Moscow depends on creation of an atmosphere of mutual trust, said the report.

"In concordance with the prevailing atmosphere of mutual trust and good will, I hope we should witness progress in the trend of Iran-P5+1 talks," he was quoted as saying.

During the visit, Fasslabend underscored that Iran's nuclear issue should be resolved through diplomatic means, said the report.

Iran and 5+1 group (Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States plus Germany) held three sessions of talks in Baghdad on May 23 and 24 after an earlier round of negotiations in the Turkish city of Istanbul in mid-April.

The two sides have agreed to hold another round of talks in Moscow on June 18-19.


Edited by: S. Isayev