Russian FM Spokesman Optimistic about Iran-G5+1 Talks in Almaty

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Alexander Lukashevich voiced optimism about the results of the ongoing talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

“Positions, considerations and approaches have been exchanged in depth and at a good professional level, which is encouraging,” Lukashevich said, addressing a news conference on Thursday.

Representatives of Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany) ended their first round of talks about an hour ago. The fresh round of talks between the two sides started this morning.

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili headed the Islamic Republic’s negotiating delegation. The G5+1’s representatives were led by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

On Thursday, Iran’s deputy chief negotiator Ali Baqeri said that the Islamic Republic would enter the new round of talks with the G5+1 with clear, groundbreaking proposals.

The last round of the talks between Tehran and the six world powers was held in Almaty on February 26-27.

Also, experts from Iran and the G5+1 reviewed the two sides’ proposals in a meeting in Istanbul from March 17 to 18. The two sides’ experts outlined topics of the talks between the chief negotiators of Iran and the G5+1.