Iran’s Envoy: Kazakhstan May Host 3rd Round of Talks between Iran, G5+1

Iran’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan Qorban Seifi said that the next round of talks between Iran and the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany, namely the G5+1, may be held in Kazakhstan.
“We consider that there is no need for all important international actions to take place in European countries, such as Geneva, Vienna, Paris when countries in the region, including Kazakhstan, have all the potential for holding similar actions,” he told a press conference in Astana.

According to him, two previous rounds of talks had been successfully held in Almaty, Xinhua reported.

“At the end of the second round, Iran’s chief negotiator Saeed Jalili, who is also the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), declared that Iran is not against holding the third round of talks in Kazakhstan. We will wait for the decision of the main negotiators of G5+1,” Seifi added.

In April, Iran and the G5+1 wrapped up two days and four rounds of intensive negotiations in Almaty after the delegations of the world powers demanded further consultations with their capitals.

The Iranian team was led by Jalili and the G5+1’s representatives were presided by Ashton.

Western media raised some speculations that the continuation of talks would depend on the upcoming presidential election in Iran, and that nothing substantial would take place under the present conditions.

Iran has so far ruled out halting or limiting its nuclear work in exchange for trade and other incentives, saying that renouncing its rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) would encourage the world powers to put further pressure on the country and would not lead to a change in the west’s hardline stance on Tehran.

Iran is under four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions for turning down west’s calls to give up its right of uranium enrichment. The United States and the European Union have ratcheted up their sanctions on Iran this year to force it to curb its nuclear program.

Iranian officials have always shrugged off the sanctions, saying that pressures make them strong and reinvigorate their resolve to further move towards self-sufficiency.