Russia: 5+1G Eager To Hold New Round Of Talks With Iran

Moscow, July 17, IRNA – Russian Foreign Ministry announced here Tuesday that the group of five UNSC veto members and Germany is eager for holding a new round of nuclear talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran in near future. According to IRNA, the Russian Foreign Ministry communique in this regard further reiterates, “The political office managers of the 5+1G foreign ministries, in a meeting headed by the EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton in Brussels on Tuesday, were all agreed that the new round of nuclear talks with Iran must be held soon after President-elect Rowhani would appoint his government’s top nuclear negotiator. Russia’s top nuclear negotiator, Sergei Ryabkov, was present at Tuesdayˈs Brussels talks, according to the communique which stresses that the participants were also agreed on the need for finding a diplomatic solution for the Iranian nuclear standoff with the west, in accordance with President-elect Rowhani’s suggestion that a step-by-step solution is needed in this respect. The communique also notes that Ryabkov also had talks with the top US diplomat Vendee Sherman on the side talks of the Brussels negotiations on major international developments and particularly the regional crises. EU foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement Tuesday that six major powers of the world hope to resume nuclear talks with Iran once the country’s President-elect Hassan Rowhani takes over later this month. ˈWe wait now for the team to be appointed by Iran, we very much hope that will be soon and we look forward to meeting them as soon as possible,” Ashton said in a video statement on Tuesday. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton had earlier held meetings with diplomats from the US, Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany in Brussels. Incoming president Hassan Rowhani is expected to appoint a new chief nuclear negotiator once he takes office on August 5./end