Report: Iran, US to hold bilateral talks
Iranian news agency quotes deputy foreign minister saying Islamic republic intends to hold bilateral talks with Group 5+1, including US
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday that Iran
is to hold bilateral talks with members of Group 5+1, including the United States,
on the sidelines of the nuclear talks in Geneva, scheduled for October 15-16, Iranian news agency IRNA reported Sunday.
According to IRNA, Araqchi, who is also a member of Iran's negotiating team, said that Iran’s right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable, but the level and amount of uranium enrichment can be discussed during the talks.
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He added the Islamic republic will never give up what the Iranians are entitled to, based on international conventions, stating that Iran is seeking real negotiations.
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will leave Tehran for Geneva on Monday. Zarif and EU foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton will conclude the outcome of the negotiations, Araqchi told IRNA.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday that the window for diplomacy with Iran over its nuclear program is "cracking open," but that "no deal is better than a bad deal."
Kerry made the comments in a speech via satellite from London to a foreign policy conference in California by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the most powerful pro-Israel lobbying organization in the United States.
Earlier Sunday, Kerry and European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, held talks on Iran, Syria, Egypt, the Mideast peace process and other matters.
"While we seek a peaceful resolution to Iran's nuclear program, words must be matched with actions," Kerry stated. "In any engagement with Iran, we are mindful of Israel's security needs. We are mindful of the need for certainty, transparency, and accountability in the process. And I believe firmly that no deal is better than a bad deal," according to the excerpts of Kerry's speech.
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