BICOM

Negotiations between Iranian officials and representatives of the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) ended yesterday with a joint announcement that both parties agreed a framework for continuing talks to reach a long-term solution to Iran’s nuclear development.

In November, Iran and the P5+1 agreed a six-month deal under which Iran halted its development of 20 per cent enriched uranium in return for limited sanctions relief. However, Iran was not required to dismantle any of its centrifuges, leaving the infrastructure for atomic development in place. This week’s talks in Vienna aimed to make progress in finding a longer-term solution.

At a joint press conference, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who heads the P5+1 delegation said that, “We have set a timetable of meetings initially over the next four months with a framework,” adding, “We have identified all the issues we will need to discuss … It won’t be easy but we have made a good start.” Negotiations are expected to resume on 17 March. Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Zarif commented, “For the first time the meeting was more positive than expected.” However, Zarif stressed that the talks will not address Iran’s military capability, an issue which the United States in particular is thought to be keen to discuss. Meanwhile, it was reported that US officials will travel to Israel today to brief Israeli leaders on this week’s talks.

Also yesterday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued its latest quarterly report on Iran’s nuclear capacity. It reported that Iran’s stockpile of 20 per cent enriched uranium has dropped from 196kg to 161kg since November, but that “much remains to be done to resolve all outstanding issues” regarding Iran’s nuclear programme. An Israeli government statement said that the report “did not address the military components of Iran’s nuclear program” and as a result, the IAEA still “cannot confirm that Iran’s nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.”