Second round of Iran-P5+1 nuclear talks begins

  06 April 2013    Read: 625
Second round of Iran-P5+1 nuclear talks begins
Iran submitted specific proposals to P5+1 during talks - deputy head negotiator
The nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group continued today in Kazakhstan, as the sides started the second day of the talks regarding Islamic Republic`s nuclear program, ISNA reported.

Yesterday BBC reported citing a western diplomat, that Iran has failed to deliver a "clear and concrete response" to a proposal aimed at ending deadlock over its nuclear programme.

Tehran said it had offered "specific plans" at the opening of the talks with world powers in Kazakhstan, however the Western diplomat said they were a "reworking" of proposals rejected at last year`s talks in Moscow.

The Iranian chief negotiator, Saeed Jalili, strongly defended its programme ahead of the talks, saying the global community must accept Tehran`s right to enrich uranium.

The Iranian delegation in Kazakhstan includes Chairman of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Saeed Jalili and his deputy Ali Bagheri, Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister`s advisor Hamid Reza Asgari, and Iran`s former ambassador in UK Rasul Movahedian.

The Russian delegation at the talks is led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, the US is presented by Under Secretary for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, UK - Director of Political Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Simon Gass, Germany - Political Director at the German Federal Foreign Office Hans-Dieter Lucas, China - Assistant Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, France - National Security Advisor Jacques Audibert, and the EU by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton.

The previous round of talks was held in the same city from Feb 26-27. A technical round of negotiation was also held between experts of the two sides in Istanbul on March 18.

According to Reuters, some Western officials have been suggesting there could be a chance of diplomatic progress in the long standoff over Iran`s nuclear activities.

The U.S. and its Western allies suspect Iran of developing a nuclear weapon - something that Iran denies.

The Islamic Republic has on numerous occasions stated that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons, using nuclear energy for medical researches instead.

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