World powers, Iran may continue n-talks in coming weeks

Geneva, Feb 23 (IANS/TASS) Representatives of six major powers and Iran will continue talks over the Islamic republic's nuclear programme in the coming weeks, European Union (EU) spokeswoman Catherine Ray said Monday.

Ray told a news conference in Brussels she could not specify a date but said the talks seeking to end the 12-year-old dispute would certainly continue in coming weeks.

A source close to the talks told TASS news agency earlier Monday that a new round of talks between Iran and the P5+1 group -- the US, Russia, China, France, Britain plus Germany -- could take place towards the end of the week. Another source in a delegation in Geneva also confirmed that "a new meeting may take place by the end of the month".

The last meeting between the six countries and Iran was held in Geneva Sunday.

Simultaneously, US Secretary of State John Kerry met his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif Sunday afternoon in a bid to revive the search for a comprehensive nuclear deal. Talks between the top diplomats continued Monday.

The meetings in Geneva were also attended by Iran's vice president and head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, and US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz.

--IANS/TASS

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