Tehran, Jan 28 (IANS) The venue for the next round of the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the six world powers has not been finalised, said an official.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi, who is also a member of the Iranian negotiating team, said this Monday night, adding that the two sides are still holding discussions to finalise the time and place for the negotiations, Press TV reported Tuesday.
On Monday, an Iranian foreign ministry official told IRNA news agency that Iran and the six world powers — Russia, China, the US, France, Britain and Germany — would hold their next round of nuclear negotiations in New York in February.
US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf also said Monday the next round of the negotiations on a long-term nuclear agreement was expected to start next month in New York.
She said New York has been chosen because of its infrastructure which is similar to Geneva, the Swiss city that had hosted previous rounds of nuclear talks between Iran and the six world powers.
“New York agreed to by European Union high representative [Catherine] Ashton and Iranian Foreign Minister [Mohammad Javad] Zarif — has a similar support infrastructure to Geneva,” the US official said, adding that the “UN and international support is important for work on a comprehensive agreement”.
On Nov 24, 2013, Iran and the six major world powers signed a nuclear accord in Geneva. The two sides started implementing the agreement Jan 20.