MP: Iran to Ask G5+1 to Refer N. Case to IAEA in Geneva Talks
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A senior Iranian lawmaker said Tehran is going to call on the six world powers to refer the country’s nuclear case from the United Nations Security Council to where it rightly belongs: the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
During the forthcoming talks with the G5+1 in Geneva, Iran will put forward a proposal that urges the West to refer Tehran’s nuclear case to the IAEA, Ahmad Bakhshayesh, member of the parliament’s national security and foreign policy commission, told Tasnim News Agency on Sunday.
At present, the UN Security Council deals with Iran’s nuclear case.
He also noted that Iran will call for removal of sanctions, imposed on it by the UN Security Council and the West, within a definite time frame.
Top diplomats from Iran and the G5+1, also known as P5+1, which includes the five permanent members of the UN Security Council --Russia, China, the US, Britain and France-- as well as Germany are to meet in the Swiss city of Geneva on October 15 and 16 to discuss Iran's nuclear program.
The lawmaker went on to say that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will only attend the first session of the two-day meeting, adding that Iranian top negotiators will handle the talks afterwards.
In the upcoming sessions, the MP noted, both sides will try to further pave the way for mutual trust. “During this week’s meeting, the roadmap for the future of negotiations will be laid out,” Bakhshayesh added.
"All issues cannot be raised and addressed in this round of talks, and in future sessions the framework for further negotiations will be outlined and issues such as Middle East developments and the common interests will be debated."
The team of Iranian negotiators will reportedly include Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Seyed Abbas Araqchi, Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi, Foreign Ministry's Director-General for the Economic and Specialized International Affairs Hamid Ba'eedinejad, Foreign Minister's Legal Adviser Davoud Mohammadnia, and Mohammad Amiri from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.
Some sources have quoted Araqchi as saying he will lead the Iranian team in the talks with European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and representatives from the G5+1 countries.
This will be the first round of negotiations since Iranian President Hassan Rouhani took office in early August.
The last meeting between Iran and the G5+1 in the Kazakh city of Almaty ended with an impasse in April.
Zarif has recently said that he and his negotiating team are going to offer a new set of proposals during the upcoming talks with the six world powers in Geneva.
“I will put forward a new plan to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear activities during the next round of talks with the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, US, Britain, France and Germany),” Zarif said, without elaborating on the contents of the new plan.
