Iran agrees to more nuclear talks in Istanbul

Two days of international talks on Iran’s nuclear program wrapped up in Geneva with an agreement to meet again in January in Istanbul.

“We have had nearly two days of detailed substantive talks focusing on the Iranian nuclear program and the need for Iran to comply with its international obligations,” European Union High Representative for Foreign Policy Catherine Ashton said in a statement Tuesday at the conclusion of the talks between diplomats from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China, Russia and Iran.

“We and Iran agreed to a continuation of these talks in late January in Istanbul, where we plan to discuss practical ideas and ways of cooperating towards a resolution of our core concerns about the nuclear issue,” Ashton concluded, walking out without taking any questions from journalists.

American and European officials said expectations were low going into the discussions –- the first international nuclear talks with Iran in over a year — which came days after two Iranian nuclear scientists were targeted for assassination.

Iran’s nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili denounced as a terror act the killing of one of the targeted scientists, Majid Shahriari, at the commencement of the meeting.

Talks were “extensive and difficult,” a Western diplomat said on the condition of anonymity late Monday. There was, however, he said, “considerable discussion of Iran’s nuclear program.”

The so-called P5+1 group “displayed unity in urging Iran to address concerns of the international community and to live up to its obligations,” he said.

Ashton’s reference to more “practical” discussions to be held at the forthcoming meeting in Istanbul suggests the possibility for talks on updating a nuclear fuel swap deal by removing the quantity of Iran’s stockpile of low enriched uranium in exchange for the international community providing nuclear isotopes to treat cancer patients in the country.

While Washington’s lead negotiator at the talks, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Bill Burns, had “no formal meetings” with the Iranian delegation, a U.S. official said Tuesday that “we had several informal interactions, which were useful to reinforce our main concerns.”

Posted by Laura Rozen 09:46 AM

via Iran agrees to more nuclear talks in Istanbul – Laura Rozen – POLITICO.com.