Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 20
By Rahim Zamanov - Trend:
The second day of a new round of technical talks between Iran and the P5+1 has started in Geneva, IRNA reported on Dec.13.
Iran and six world powers resumed expert-level talks in Geneva on Thursday to work out how to put into practice a landmark deal obligating Tehran to curb its nuclear program in return for some relief from economic sanctions.
The talks follow four days of similar discussions in Vienna last week.
On Dec. 17, after meeting with EU High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Catherine Ashton in Brussels Araqchi said that they agreed to keep nuclear talks in spite of the U.S. blacklisting some Iranian and foreign companies and individuals last week.
The U.S. on Dec. 12 blacklisted additional companies and individuals charged with evading existing sanctions against Iran. The Iranian delegation left the negotiations in Vienna a day after that.
The expert-level nuclear negotiations between Iran and P5+1 will be resumed on Dec. 19 in Geneva, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi said, Mehr news agency reported on Dec. 18.
Araqchi, also the top nuclear negotiator for Iran, harshly condemned the U.S.'s latest action, but said that after talking with Ashton, who leads the P5+1 group's negotiations with Iran, that the nuclear talks will continue.
He quoted Ashton as saying that P5+1 is serious to continue nuclear talks with Iran.
On November 24, Iran and the P5+1 reached a deal in Geneva after several days of intensive negotiations. With the agreement, Iran has agreed to curb some nuclear activities for six months in return for sanctions relief.
The U.S. and its Western allies suspect Iran of developing a nuclear weapon - something that Iran denies.
The Islamic Republic has on numerous occasions stated that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons, using nuclear energy for medical research instead.
The EU members will hold talks easing sanctions on Iran this week.
Edited by C.N.