P5+1 to offer Iran easing sanctions: report

A report says the group of six major world powers plans to present Iran with an offer to ease gold, petrochemicals banking sanctions in Kazakhstan talks.

The Al Monitor reported that the P5+1 (Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States plus Germany) plans to present Iran with an offer to ease sanctions on the “gold trade, petrochemical industry, and some small-scale banking sanctions.”

Meanwhile, Michael Mann, the spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, said on Tuesday that, “We have prepared a good and updated offer for the talks, which we believe is balanced and a fair basis for constructive talks.”

“The offer addresses international concerns… on the nature of the Iranian nuclear program, but is also responsive to Iranian ideas,” Michael Mann added.

The negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 began in southeastern Kazakh city of Almaty earlier today.

Secretary of Iran Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili is heading the Islamic Republic’s negotiating delegation. The P5+1 representatives are led by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

Iran and the P5+1 group have held several rounds of talks with the main focus on Iran’s nuclear energy program. The last round of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group was held in Moscow in June 2012.

The United States, Israel and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Over the false allegation, Washington and the European Union have imposed several rounds of illegal unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Iran refutes the allegation and argues that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is entitled to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.