VIENNA, October 17 (RIA Novosti) – Overall, Russia is satisfied with the way the latest round of Iran nuclear talks was conducted, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
"In principle, we are very satisfied with the way this compact but very intense round of talks was conducted. The appropriateness of the decision to hold it cannot be doubted. Basically, today was a direct continuation of the discussions held earlier," Ryabkov told Russian journalists Thursday after the latest round of talks between P5+1 mediators and Tehran in Vienna.
According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, "there is progress", but "the situation has not changed regarding major issues", which include uranium enrichment, the future of Iran's Arak nuclear reactor and the lifting of sanctions.
The West has imposed sanctions against Iran, accusing Tehran of developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear program — claims repeatedly denied by the Iranian authorities.
At a meeting held in November 2013 in Geneva, Iran and the P5+1 group, comprising Russia, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, agreed to reach a long-term nuclear agreement by July 2014. The deadline was later postponed to November 24, 2014.
