Iranian, US Diplomats Hold Nuclear Talks in Switzerland
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran and the US launched high-profile talks on Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program in Switzerland, with their top diplomats meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 45th annual Davos meeting on Friday.
The meeting, like all other previous get-togethers, focused on the course of nuclear talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
Zarif told reporters after meeting with Kerry that they talked about the necessity to accelerate the negotiations, which are aimed at reaching a comprehensive deal on Tehran’s peaceful nuclear case.
Technical issues in the course of talks, such as Iran’s uranium enrichment program, were also discussed in the bilateral meeting, Zarif added.
The Iranian foreign minister also had a meeting with his Swiss counterpart on Friday. They discussed diplomatic talks on Iran’s nuclear program, Tehran-Bern relations and the latest developments in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, in separate meetings in another Swiss city, Zurich, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman were engaged in intensive talks on Friday.
They held two sessions on Friday, while the deputy-level talks in Zurich are to continue on Saturday.
Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) wrapped up the latest round of negotiations in Geneva last week, with the next round slated for early February.
Negotiations between Iran and the Group 5+1 (also known as the P5+1 or E3+3) aim to hammer out a final agreement to end more than a decade of impasse over Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program.
According to senior Iranian nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi, a full round of nuclear talks involving all six powers and Iran has already been fixed for early February.
