Brussels, 27/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - Iran's Deputy Negotiator Ali Bagheri has described as “positive” the discussions held with Helga Schmid, Deputy Secretary General for the EEAS under EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton. Their talks took place in Istanbul on Tuesday 24 July on Iran's nuclear programme, it was reported by local media on Thursday 26 July (see EUROPE 10648).
According to Bagheri, talks were “in line with the Moscow agreement”. Both parties managed to take talks forward satisfactorily, with a view to concluding agreements on the continuation of work and future negotiations, the Iranian diplomat said, without however saying whether agreement had in fact been reached.
The European Union for its part refused all comment concerning the unfolding of or possible outcome of the meeting.
The meeting in question had been scheduled after contact at experts' level early July. It will be followed up by discussion between Ashton and Chief Negotiator Saïd Jalili, as planned during the meeting between Iran and the E3+3 (Germany, France, United Kingdom, China, Russia and the United States) in Moscow, on 19 June. Discussion between Ashton and Jalili will come about in the near future but no date has yet been set, Ashton's spokesman Michael Mann told Agence Europe. (CG/transl.jl)