The New York Times
By RICK GLADSTONE
The meeting’s objective “is to look further at how existing gaps in positions could be narrowed and how the process could be moved forward,” said Michael Mann, a spokesman for Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s foreign policy chief. Ms. Ashton is the lead negotiator for the six powers — the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany, known as the P5-plus-one group.
Three full negotiations since April have made no progress. Iran has rejected demands to suspend uranium enrichment, which it says is for peaceful purposes and the West and Israel suspect is a cover for developing the ability to make nuclear weapons. Iran also says that a suspension of sanctions is necessary for talks to succeed.
