Zarif-Ashton morning session talks end

IRNA -- Talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton ended here Thursday, according to IRNA.

The three-hour talks focused on how to start a draft text for a permanent nuclear agreement.

It is expected that the bilateral talks between Zarif and Ashton will resume later in the afternoon.

The fourth round of nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers moved to a new phase on Wednesday, with the two sides sitting down to begin writing the text of a final accord.

Both sides have also acknowledged this negotiation process until the July 20 deadline would be tough.

According to Ashtonˈs spokesman Michael Mann, the negotiations had become very sensitiveˈ as they were getting down

to the ˈnitty gritty.ˈ

He stressed earlier although these negotiations were ˈobviously complicated,ˈ everybody in the Vienna IV talks was determined

to work very hard and to discuss elements of what a potential agreement could look like.

Mann said the duration of the nuclear talks until July 20 would depend on the degree of progress.

He reiterated Ashtonˈs determination to negotiate hard and to reach a nuclear agreement as fast as possible.