Iran set to resume nuclear talks in Geneva

Talks between Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers will be resuming in Geneva on Thursday. The two day meeting between Abbas Araqchi, Iran’s negotiator, and Helga Schmid, representative of the P5+1 group in Tehran aims to activate the landmark deal to curb Tehran’s nuclear program.

Iran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif said on his Facebook page, that talks with experts from the P5+1 group in December had produced “positive results”. Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said the talks will be focusing on remaining issues “pending a political decision” before the deal can go into effect on January 20. The US State Department had confirmed on Wednesday that US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman would be attending the talks.

Technical experts from Iran and the P5+1, comprising of the US, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany, held two sessions in mid and late December last year in Geneva regarding the deal reached on November 24. The meeting extended for nearly twenty three hours ending at 7 a.m. According to the deal, Iran is to curb parts of its nuclear drive for six months in exchange for modest relief from international sanctions and a promise by Western powers not to impose new measures against the Iranian economy. Talks were held in Vienna in early December for four days; but proved futile after Washington expanded its sanctions blacklist against Tehran. The talks between the experts are expected to dispel the suspicions of the international community that Iran is covertly pursuing a nuclear weapons capability.

Infoeditor