Iran, Powers to resume nuclear talks on Monday

Iran and world powers will resume technical talks in Geneva on Monday on how to implement an interim nuclear deal, according to Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
Iran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) clinched a landmark deal in Geneva on November 24 according to which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program for six months in exchange for modest sanctions relief.

The Geneva agreement is designed to provide time to negotiate a comprehensive deal to help resolve Iran’s nuclear issue.

Iran and the six major powers had suspended their expert-level talks on implementing the deal until after Christmas.

Experts from the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain, Germany and Iran met in Geneva from December 19 to 22 to settle the practical details of the accord.

They need to decide when the November 24 deal goes into effect, meaning when Iran has to fulfill its obligations and Western governments ease some economic sanctions in return.

The Geneva round of technical talks was the second time nuclear experts and sanctions specialists from the seven countries and the European Union had met to figure out how the nuclear deal will be implemented.

Earlier this month, a round of technical talks in Vienna was suspended after the United States blacklisted 19 Iranian companies and people, and some Iranian officials said this decision violated the spirit of the November 24 nuclear agreement.