Iran, U.S. start bilateral nuclear talks in Geneva September 4, 2014 - 13:20 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran and the United States began bilateral nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday, Sept 4, the second time the two sides have met since Iran and six world powers failed to meet a July 20 deadline to resolve differences in the long-standing dispute. State news agency IRNA and a U.S. official confirmed the talks were underway, according to Reuters. Iran and the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia have set a new deadline of Nov 24 to negotiate a comprehensive agreement under which Tehran would scale back its nuclear activities in exchange for gradually ending the sanctions that have crippled its oil-dependent economy. "If there is good will and a constructive approach, we can reach a desired result before Nov 24," IRNA quoted Iran's deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi as saying late on Wednesday. The United States last week penalized a number of Iranian and other foreign companies, banks and airlines for violating sanctions against Tehran, saying it was sending a signal that there should be no evasion of sanctions while talks continue. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday the sanctions were against the spirit of negotiations, but added he was not pessimistic about the viability of the talks. The next round of talks between Iran and the six world powers will be held in New York on Sept. 18 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting, IRNA said. The agency said Iran also plans to hold talks with France, Britain and Germany on Sept 11 in Vienna. A Western diplomatic source said the IRNA report appeared to be correct, but did not give details. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman were in the U.S. delegation at Thursday's talks, which will last for two days, the State Department said in a statement, according to Reuters. Abbas Araghchi, one of Iran's chief negotiators, is also at the discussions, which IRNA said would last until Saturday. Western countries suspect Iran’s program is aimed at seeking the capability to build a nuclear bomb. Tehran says its program is peaceful.  Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Latest news Erdogan wants “realistic road map” for relations with Armenia  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a “new realistic road map” for relations with Armenia.Armenia-Azerbaijan: Experts launch work on determining coordinates Expert groups from the countries started the process of determining the coordinates based on geodetic measurements.Yerevan says did not expect CSTO in peacekeeping role Pashinyan has declared that the CSTO would be expected to come to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border as an ally of ArmeniaHenrikh Mkhitaryan wins Serie A title with Inter Inter Milan midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan admits that the team have long been imagining clinching Serie A against AC Milan. |
