Iran, Sextet to begin expert-level talks in Vienna

A new round of talks between Iran and the six major world powers over the Tehran’s nuclear energy program is due to begin shortly in the Austrian capital, Vienna.

The two-day expert-level meeting is scheduled to begin on Monday ahead of negotiations between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday.

The Vienna meeting is aimed at devising mechanisms to implement the November 24 interim deal sealed between Tehran and the Sextet- Britain, China, France, Russia and the US plus Germany- in the Swiss city of Geneva, said Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for International and Legal Affairs Abbas Araqchi on Sunday

The interim agreement comes to lay the groundwork for the full resolution of the West’s decade-old dispute with Iran over its civilian nuclear work.

In exchange for Tehran’s confidence-building bid to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities, the Sextet agreed to ease some of the existing sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Araqchi added that Hamid Baeidinejad, the Director General for Political and Legal Affairs at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, will lead the Iranian delegation which includes experts from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and the Central Bank as well as from other sectors facing sanctions.

On fresh Iran-IAEA talks scheduled for Wednesday, Araqchi said the negotiations will cover the measures that the UN agency is required to take under its recent agreement with Tehran.

On November 12, Iran and the IAEA agreed on a roadmap for more cooperation on outstanding nuclear issues. Under the deal, Iran would, on a voluntary basis, allow the IAEA inspectors to visit the Arak heavy water plant in central Iran and Gachin uranium mine in Bandar Abbas in the south of the country.

IAEA inspectors, who had arrived in Iran on Saturday, visited the Arak facility on Sunday.

AEOI Spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said on Sunday that the IAEA inspection of Gachin mine will be discussed during the Wednesday meeting between Iran and the agency.