‘Geneva N-talks turning point in history of Iran, world’

Chairman of Iran’s Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has described ongoing nuclear talks in Geneva as a turning point for the Islamic Republic, the region and the entire world.

Rafsanjani said on Saturday that the progress of nuclear talks will result in energy security at the international level and stability in the region.

Talks between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Britain, China, France, Russia and the US – plus Germany over Tehran’s nuclear energy program began in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday.

Negotiations, however, stretched into an unscheduled third day as negotiators pressed for a deal on Iran’s civilian nuclear work

Rafsanjani hailed the remarks made by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei about supporting Iran’s nuclear negotiating team as significant.

“These guidelines strengthened the determination of Iran’s negotiating team to continue talks and the world realized that the negotiating team has the support of the Leader and therefore the [support of the Iranian] people and officials,” Rafsanjani added.

On November 3, Ayatollah Khamenei defended the Iranian negotiating team against criticism, saying no one should undermine, insult or label them as being inclined toward reaching a compromise over Iran’s nuclear energy program.

“The presence of the foreign ministers of P5+1 in Geneva indicates that talks have entered a new stage,” Rafsanjani added.

Kerry, British Foreign Secretary William Hague as well as German and French foreign ministers – Guido Westerwelle, and Laurent Fabius respectively – traveled to Geneva to join the negotiations on Friday.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Geneva on Saturday in order to hold consultations with his colleagues over the nuclear talks, the Russian state news agency ITAR-TASS reported.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is holding talks with Kerry and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton after meeting with Westerwelle, Hague and Fabius earlier on Saturday.