Iran-Sextet talks build confidence: Zarif
Iran Press TV
Mon Feb 3, 2014 2:36PM GMT
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has stressed the importance of further negotiations with six major world powers to build confidence.
"The trend of Iran's future talks with the P5+1 will greatly help build more confidence between the two sides," Zarif said in a Monday meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
He expressed hope that Tehran and Berlin would promote bilateral cooperation in line with the national interests of both sides.
The German foreign minister, for his part, welcomed the progress in talks between Tehran and the six world powers and said the two sides should seriously pursue the prospects of the negotiations.
Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Russia, China, France, Britain and the US – plus Germany are scheduled to hold the next round of talks in the Austrian capital, Vienna, on February 18.
The meeting will come in light of the implementation of an interim nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers which was clinched in the Swiss city of Geneva last November.
Under the deal, Iran agreed to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities as a confidence-building measure, and the world powers undertook to provide Iran with some sanctions relief and release more than USD four billion of Tehran's oil revenues.
In another meeting on Monday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Zarif discussed economic and technical cooperation between the two countries.
The Iranian minister said the Geneva deal created a unique opportunity for the two countries to use mutual capacities in line with national interests.
Fabius expressed hope that Tehran and Paris would take effective steps to enhance mutual confidence.
Meanwhile, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz assured his Iranian counterpart that Vienna supports approaches to better implement the Geneva nuclear deal.
He said that his country welcomes hosting the next round of talks between Iran and the six powers.
Zarif also called on senior Iranian and Austrian officials to exchange visits.
In a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said the expansion of ties would serve the interests of both sides, commending the progress made in nuclear talks between Iran and the six powers.
Zarif, for his part, urged the two countries to use of bilateral potentials to strengthen economic, political and cultural cooperation.
The Iranian minister arrived in Germany on Friday to attend the Munich Security Conference.
SF/HGH/SL
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
