Lausanne Nuclear Talks: Iran, Six Powers Continue Ministerial Meeting
LAUSANNE (Tasnim) – Foreign ministers of Iran, the US, Britain, China, France and Germany attended another plenary meeting in a day in Switzerland’s Lausanne on Tuesday to break an impasse in talks over Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program.
The ministerial meeting, like the one in the morning, excluded Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who left Lausanne on Monday, but is heading back to the Swiss city, a sign that the marathon talks are nearing an end.
On Tuesday, The Associated Press cited unnamed officials as saying that the negotiating parties are prepared to issue a general statement agreeing to continue talks in a new phase aimed at reaching a comprehensive accord by the end of June.
The joint statement is to be accompanied by additional documents that outline more detailed understandings, allowing the sides to claim enough progress has been made thus far to merit a new round, the officials said.
Ranking diplomats from Iran and the Group 5+1 (also known as the P5+1 or E3+3) launched the new round of negotiations on Thursday with the aim of reaching a lasting nuclear deal ahead of a March 31 deadline.
The parties have been working to agree on a preliminary framework accord by the end of March, to be followed by a comprehensive deal by June 30 that includes all technical details.
