Iran nuclear talks end without breakthrough
Iran and six world powers ended two days of nuclear talks in Istanbul without significant progress, Catherine Ashton, the negotiator for the so-called 5 1 group, said Saturday.
‘We had hoped to embark on a discussion of practical ways forward. I’m disappointed to say that this was not possible,’ Ashton said at a press conference following the talks.
Ashton said the 5 1 group, comprised of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - US, Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany, had presented Iran with ‘specific practical proposals’ for building trust but Iran did not accept them.
The proposals included an updated nuclear swap deal and ways for Iran to improve transparency in its dealings with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
While expressing disappointment at the lack of concrete progress, Ashton emphasized that ‘the door remains open’ for Iran to respond to the group’s proposals. She said no further talks between Iran and the six powers had been planned.