World powers to discuss final deal on Tehran n-issue

Representatives of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1 group)) will gather here to discuss a possible path to a final deal over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme by Nov 24, officials said Tuesday.

The meetings between P5+1 group are set to start Thursday, after the talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton Tuesday in Vienna.

US Secretary of State John Kerry will join them Wednesday.

Iran does not expect a breakthrough in talks with the US and the EU this week but hopes the talks will help pave the way for a final deal, Xinhua quoted Zarif as saying upon arrival in Vienna.

Michael Mann, spokesman of Ashton, Tuesday told reporters that the meetings between Iran, EU and the US are to "see where we stand in the negotiations".

He added that "there were still significant gaps" in the talks, and the EU would try hard to make some progress.

Under the interim deal agreed in Geneva last November, Iran agreed to suspend some sensitive nuclear activities in exchange of limited sanction relief in a duration of 12 months to buy time for the diplomatic effort to resolve issue.

The West wants Iran to significantly scale back its nuclear programme to address its concern of proliferation risk, while Iran insists its nuclear right is inalienable.

--Indo-Asian News Serivce

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