Iran: Nuclear talks lack common ground

 

 

World powers and Iran have "not yet sufficient" grounds for an accord permitting another round of talks after the current round in Baghdad, an Iranian official has said as negotiations looked set to enter a second day. Wednesday's talks in Baghdad were the second round in the latest series between the P5+1 group of world powers and Iran over the Islamic Republic's controversial nuclear programme, with earlier negotiations held in Istanbul last month.

"The points of agreement are not yet sufficient for another round," the official said on condition of anonymity, adding that the world powers had to "revise" a package of proposals made earlier on Wednesday.

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"We believe that the two parties must agree on common points to merit a new round of negotiations. The necessary foundation needs to be built. Common points must be agreed in Baghdad."

The official said, however, that "the Western parties want to continue these negotiations at any cost. This is not our position". Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful, but Western powers suspect it is masking attempts to join the elite club of nations with nuclear weapons.

Earlier Catherine Ashton, EU foreign policy chief, presented a package of new incentives on behalf of the P5+1 - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany.