Talks between Iran and the G5+1 ended on a positive tone on Wednesday February 27, and the two sides agreed to meet in Istanbul on March 17 and 18.
Iranian state television and Press TV report that the experts are to examine the proposals put forth about Iran’s nuclear program at the Istanbul meeting.
Saeed Jalili, Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, announced that the talks in Kazakhstan were “successful” but added that they “still have a long way to go in order to reach an agreement.”
Neither side has given any details about the proposals. Russian media have reported that the Iranian delegation and the G5+1 will meet for another round of talks in Kazakhstan in April.
Russian deputy foreign minister Sergey Riabkov has said that the world powers have suggested lifting international sanctions against Iran if, in exchange, Iran stops enriching uranium to the 20-percent level at its Fordo nuclear facilities.
The talks began yesterday in Almaty, and many media reports indicate that the proposal by the world powers included lifting some of the sanctions currently in place against Iran in exchange for concessions from Iran.
After the Almaty talks, Jalili said the G5+1‘s responses to the proposals Iran had offered previously in Moscow have become more practical.
The two parties last met eight months ago in Moscow, where Iran offered a proposal package to the world powers. Jalili said the proposals were organized around five provisions aimed at setting the principles and objectives of the negotiation process, and the talks ended with the G5+1 saying they would consider the proposal and respond to it.
Jalili said on Tuesday that the world powers have come back with some proposals that “recognize some of proposals made by the Islamic Republic of Iran” in Moscow.
He stressed that this was a very positive step, and now the experts on both sides will meet in Istanbul to examine the issues and discuss ways of implementing these proposals.
Jalili responded to a question regarding the closure of the Fordo facilities, saying: “There are explanations for the closure of the Fordo facilities, and the G5+1 did not even make such a request.”
