Lavrov: lifting of sanctions on Iran must be on agenda

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran will wrap up talks with the U.S. and other world powers today in Istanbul after refusing to discuss its nuclear program during a first round of meetings, according to Bloomberg.

Negotiations with the so-called P5+1 group, composed of China, France, Germany, Russia, the U.K and U.S., adjourned after two hours yesterday and were followed by one-on-one discussions, officials said. Iranian delegate Abolfazl Zohrevand, speaking in an interview from Istanbul on Iran’s Al- Alam television, said his country’s “peaceful nuclear program is not on the agenda.”

"The nuclear program must be at the heart of the discussions and the problems that have not yet been resolved concerning it. But there's not only one topic for this meeting, the lifting of sanctions on Iran must also be on the agenda," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said prior to the talks.

The U.S. wants the P5+1 to press Iran to resolve concerns over its nuclear work, while the Iranian government is seeking to broaden the talks to include regional security issues. The U.S. and Europe accuse Iran of lying about its nuclear research, which they say is a cover to develop atomic weapons. Iran says it only wants to generate nuclear power.