First round of Iran-G5+1 talks in Moscow end behind closed doors

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Moscow, June 18, Iran -- First round of so-called Iran-G5+1 Moscow negotiations ended minutes ago behind closed doors here and the two sides are expected to pursue talks later on Monday afternoon.

According to the IRNA correspondent in Moscow, just like the previous rounds of talks in Turkey and Iraq, the participating delegations got involved in bilateral talks between the morning and the afternoon rounds of talks.

Iran’s team of nuclear negotiators, led by Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Sa’eid Jalili, arrived in the Russian capital Sunday June 17 and the G5+1 negotiators from Russia, China, UK, US, France and Germany arrived in Moscow last night.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the first round of talks between Jalili and the European Union Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton would take about half an hour.

Ashton’s spokesman Michel Mann attended a press conference about the talks at 12:30 local time.

Although Russia's high ranking officials have already announced their full readiness to hold this round of talks and described the Moscow meeting as a step forward to Iran-G+1 nuclear talks, about 300 journalists who have come to Moscow to cover the nuclear talks are worried about the lack of access to the diplomats from the two parties.

The reporters had been provided with video-conference of the meeting but after a while the communications were cut off.

Representatives of Iran and the six nations wrapped up their last or second meeting in Baghdad on May 24 after two days of negotiations, and agreed to hold new round of talks in Moscow on June 18-19. The first round of the talks was held in Istanbul.

In Moscow, Iran and the sextet are to discuss Iran’s package of five proposals.

During her latest phone conversation with Jalili, Ms. Ashton said that Moscow talks will focus mostly on Iranian five-point proposal which was put on table in Baghdad.

Tehran has made it clear in the past two rounds of talks that it would do its best for confidence-building and will never give up its legitimate rights enshrined by Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Iran’s team of nuclear negotiators, led by Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Sa’eid Jalili, arrived in the Russian capital Sunday June 17 and the G5+1 negotiators from Russia, China, UK, US, France and Germany arrived in Moscow last night.

Russian Foreign Ministry said that the first round of talks between Jalili and the European Union Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton would take about half an hour.

Tehran has made it clear in the past two rounds of talks that it would do its best for confidence-building and will never give up its legitimate rights enshrined by Non-Proliferation Treaty.

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