Ministerial-level talks in Munich still undecided: Zarif

TEHRAN, Jan. 26 (MNA) – Iran’s Mohammad Javad Zarif says ministerial-level talks in Munich about nuclear issue is still undecided. In a joint press conference with Croatian counterpart Vesna Pusić on Sunday Zarif responded to a Mehr News question on the possibility of ministerial-level nuclear netotiations with the 5+1 foreign ministers; “I will be in Munich for this year’s Security Conference and will meet with individual 5+1 participants; however, the ministerial-level talks on the sidelines is still undecided,” told Zarif, “I have no information as to which 5+1 foreign ministers will be present in the conference; only some of them would participate, and really it is an issue of logistics whether foreign ministers should travel to Munich to specifically attend the nuclear talks.” “Munich Security Conference is highly hectic event and a ministerial-level meeting would be all but impossible without planning in advance; however, my colleagues have continued talks in Zurich yesterday and the day before, and will met again three EU countries later this week,” added Zarif, saying that talks with China and Russia was ongoing as well to assess the possibility of a deal “which we think is quite in outreach.” On his visit to Saudi Arabia and whether this visit would bring future diplomatic visits to the kingdom, Zarif told Mehr News correspondent that his visit had been quite short for only 3 or 4 hours and that he would not think that in such a short visit, “no delegation would manage a bilateral meeting.” Zarif nevertheless added that his invitation for Mr. Saud al-Faisal and accordingly, his invitation to Zarif were open invitations both sides could attend whenever the situation demanded.