Iran's Zarif, EU's Ashton to Meet in Vienna
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton will meet in the Austrian capital of Vienna on Monday ahead of the new round of nuclear talks between Tehran and six world powers.
During the meeting, Zarif and Ashton will discuss how to proceed the new round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) and whether the official talks should be started on Monday or Tuesday.
Ashton coordinates diplomacy with Iran on behalf of the six nations (also known as the P5+1 or E3+3) in the marathon talks with the aim of hammering out a final nuclear deal, meant to end years of Western standoff over Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program.
The high-profile negotiations between Iran and the Group 5+1 is scheduled to be held from June 16 to 20.
Iran has also held separate bilateral talks with members of the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
On June 9-10, representatives from Iran, the US and the European Union held trilateral talks in the Swiss city of Geneva to further discuss Iran’s nuclear energy program.
According to Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi, the tripartite talks included “good exchange of views, however, divisions still remain and consultations will continue.”
Moreover, the Iranian negotiating team is set to hold bilateral meetings with diplomats from Germany in the coming days.
Araqchi had announced earlier that another bilateral meeting between Iranians and Germany’s representative, Hans-Dieter Lucas, will take place in Tehran on Sunday, June 15.