Iran begins bilateral P5+1 meetings, rejects US request for talks

Iran has begun bilateral talks with the members of the P5+1 in the Turkish city of Istanbul and has rejected multiple requests by Washington for a meeting.

Iran’s Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili began talks with Russia’s representative Sergei Ryabkov, after a joint meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

Jalili also held a meeting with the EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton as part of bilateral talks with the P5+1 members, which was the third meeting between Ashton and Jalili since Friday.

According to sources, Washington also requested a bilateral meeting with the Islamic Republic. Iran rejected all requests to hold talks with the US.

The first round of the new comprehensive talks between Iran and the P5+1 began on Saturday morning after a 15-month hiatus and is expected to continue in the afternoon.

Earlier on Saturday, European Union sources had described the atmosphere of the talks as “positive.” However sources close to Iranian negotiators said that it is too early to judge whether the atmosphere of the talks has been positive before hearing the viewpoints of all sides.

An EU source said after that first round of talks that member states of the P5+1 will also hold separate bilateral negotiations with the Iranian side.

The Iranian delegation present at the talks is headed by Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili while the delegations of the six world powers are headed by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

Tehran and the P5+1 have already held two rounds of talks in the past, one in Geneva in December 2010 and another in Istanbul in January 2011.

The second round of the new negotiations will be held in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, the date of which will be announced at the end of the Istanbul meeting.