IRAN, US END 4TH ROUND OF MONTREUX TALKS

Montreux, 14 Jumadil Awwal 1436/5 March 2015 (MINA) – Iranian and US delegations have wrapped up a fourth round of negotiations headed by the two countries’ top diplomats in the Swiss city of Montreux on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

This bout of discussions, headed by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry, ended on Wednesday and further negotiations will continue at the deputy level on Thursday.

In attendance at the talks as before were head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, Iranian Deputy Foreign Ministers Abbas Araqchi and Majid Takht-e Ravanchi, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, and European Union deputy foreign policy chief, Helga Schmid in addition to Hossein Fereydoun, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s special aide.

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An informed source close to Iran’s negotiating team told Press TV reporter that the next round of talks at ministerial level has been slated for March 15-20, Press TV quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

The fourth round was preceded by technical discussions between Salehi and Moniz.

Representatives of Iran and the United States had also held three rounds of intense negotiations in the Swiss city of Geneva on February 22-23 to bridge their differences ahead of a July 1 deadline for Iran and the P5+1 group – Russia, China, France, Britain, the United States and Germany – to reach a comprehensive nuclear deal.

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Iran and the P5+1 have already missed two deadlines for inking a final agreement since they signed an interim one in the Swiss city of Geneva last November. (T/P010/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)