AFP: Six world powers and Iran convened for a second day of talks here on Saturday in a bid to ease tensions over Tehran’s controversial nuclear drive, diplomats said.
ISTANBUL, January 22, 2011 (AFP) – Six world powers and Iran convened for a second day of talks here on Saturday in a bid to ease tensions over Tehran’s controversial nuclear drive, diplomats said.
The Iranians were led by the country’s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, while EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton headed the P5+1 group of Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany.
The two-day meeting was scheduled to end later Saturday, with little progress seen during a first day of talks on Friday.
Earlier, representatives of the so-called Vienna Group — comprising France, Russia and the United States — held separate talks over a nuclear fuel swap proposal that was first discussed with Iran in 2009, a Western diplomat said, without giving other details.
The powers are known to be looking into a modified version of the proposal to take into account Iran’s growing stockpile of low-enriched uranium.
