Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar.4
By - Trend:
Iran-US talks on Tehran's nuclear program are being held in a good atmosphere, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told RIA Novosti news agency.
"The atmosphere at the talks is good," he said.
At the same time, he said that after the recent statement by US President Barack Obama to freeze Iran's nuclear program for at least 10 years, "the negotiations were tense at first."
Earlier in an interview with Reuters international news agency, the US leader said that reaching a final agreement on Iran's nuclear program is possible if Tehran suspends it at least for 10 years. Iran needs to keep its program in the current state during a few years measured by "double digit" so that one could make sure that the country does not have nuclear weapon, according to Obama.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif described the statements of the US president as part of an advertising campaign aimed at US audience.
Iran and six powerful countries called the Group P5+1 (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany) started a new round of talks on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program March 2.
The sides wrapped up four days of intense talks on Feb. 23, after which they maintained that great steps had been taken toward reaching a final agreement.
The talks between Iran and the P5+1 were extended until June 30, 2015 to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement. However, the sides attempt to reach a political accord in March.
After the parties failed to meet the November 24, 2014 deadline they also extended the Geneva nuclear deal, which was signed in November 2013 for providing Iran with some sanctions relief in exchange for Tehran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities.
Edited by CN