Baku, Azerbaijan, March 29
By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry held their 8th round of talks on Tehran's nuclear program on March 29 which lasted one hour.
Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi, deputies of the foreign minister Abbas Araqchi and Majid Takht Ravanchi, as well as presidential aide and foreign ministry consultant Hossein Fereydoun accompany Zarif in the talks
There has been progress in reaching desirable approaches, yet we have to work on some important issues, Zarif said on the sidelines of the talks, Fars news agency reported March 29.
Sources close to the negotiating sides have said that sanctions and research and development remain the main topics on which common ground has yet to be found.
Zarif and Kerry met at 8:00 local time Laussane, Switzerland. Washington said that the US Secretary of State has discussed Yemen's ongoing political developments with Zarif.
Zarif is later the day to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will arrive in Lausanne later the day to join the negotiations.
Iran and the group 5+1 (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany) are in talks over Tehran's nuclear program.
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini is also attending the negotiations.
The sides have agreed to reach a political understanding on the case by the end of March.
The sides have also agreed to strike a comprehensive deal by July 1.