Ban hopes for talks ‘reciprocal’ results - Gayo Lues

The secretary general hopes that the next round of talks between the P5+1 and Iran, scheduled to take place in Moscow, Russia, on June 18-19, results in “concrete and reciprocal steps towards a comprehensive negotiated solution” to Iran’s nuclear energy program, Ban’s spokesman Martin Nesirky told a press briefing on Thursday.

Iran and the P5+1 -Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States plus Germany- wrapped up their last meeting in Baghdad on May 24 after two days of negotiations.

The Iranian negotiating delegation was headed by Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili and the delegations of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany were headed by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

Both sides agreed to hold another round of talks in Moscow on June 18-19.

In a telephone conversation with Jalili on June 12, Ashton said the P5+1 countries were ready to hold talks on Tehran’s 5-point proposal in the forthcoming negotiations with Iran.

Stressing the necessity of achieving success in the upcoming talks in the Russian capital, Ashton expressed hope that both sides could find common grounds based on Iran’s proposal and the P5+1 proposed package.

Jalili, for his part, stressed the importance of respecting the agreements reached in the previous P5+1 talks in Baghdad and Istanbul.

He said that Iran will clarify its 5-point proposal in the Moscow talks, stressing that an appropriate response to Tehran’s proposition can bring about progress in the talks.

AR/GHN/AZ