Ashton Confirms Continued Talks with Iran Next Month
(FNA)- EU foreign policy chief Catherin Ashton, who heads the delegations of the six world powers in negotiations with Tehran, confirmed earlier reports that the Group 5+1 and Iran will continue their negotiations in the Russian capital in June.
"We will go to Moscow on June 17 to continue the talks on June 18 and 19," Ashton said at a press conference following several rounds of talks with Iran in Baghdad on Thursday.
She further pointed out that there still reside some differences between Tehran and the world powers, and added that the G5+1 delegations would go back to their respective capitals for further consultations over the issues raised at the Baghdad negotiations with Iran.
The EU foreign policy chief further said that the six world powers and Iran would move on the basis of a step-by-step plan to build each other's trust.
She also noted that Tehran has voiced preparedness to discuss its 20-percent enrichment activities, adding that the Iranian team has offered a proposal which includes 5 axes of cooperation.
Yet, she declined to declare the details of the talks with Iran.
"I believe that we share some common grounds and we should negotiate over them," Ashton said, and pointed to the two sides' agreement on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons as among such areas.
Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) held several rounds of talks in Baghdad on Wednesday and Thursday.
On April 14 and after a 15-month hiatus, Iran and the six world powers resumed talks in Istanbul, Turkey, and agreed to meet again in the Iraqi capital on May 23.
Analysts believe that the two sides' agreement to continue the talks should be seen as a sign of hope for resolving the long-standing standoff between Tehran and the West.