No Tangible Results in N. Talks between Iran, EU, US

(FNA)- The latest round of talks between the Iranian, US and EU officials in New York was fruitful and constructive but didn’t yield any tangible results, an informed source close to the negotiations said.

"The trilateral meeting among (Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad) Zarif, Mrs. (Catherine) Ashton (the EU foreign policy chief) and (US Secretary of State) John Kerry was held in New York for two hours and 15 minutes," the source told FNA on Saturday.

"The negotiations were generally fruitful and constructive although they didn’t lead to any considerable progress in the issues on which there are differences," the source added.

The source said that given the general conditions and the intensive negotiations which have been held by now, the two sides decided to continue consultations in the near future.

The 7th round of talks between Iran and the Group 5+1(the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) started in New York last Friday.

The two sides held six rounds of negotiations in Vienna to reach a comprehensive deal after they inked an interim agreement in Geneva on November 24.

The Geneva agreement took effect on January 20 and expired six months later on July 20. In July, Tehran and the six countries agreed to extend negotiations until November 24 after they failed to reach an agreement on a number of key issues.

Senior Iranian nuclear negotiator Seyed Abbas Araqchi underlined on Friday that Tehran would never accept to make a deal through crossing or ignoring its redlines in the talks with the Group 5+1.

Araqchi underscored that Iran was ready to accept solutions that would allay concerns over the country’s nuclear energy program provided that they take into consideration the Islamic Republic’s rights and redlines.

Araqchi, who is also the deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, said the Iranian negotiating team would continue to insist on Iran’s rights and will not overstep the country’s "redlines" in the talks.

Acknowledging that the two sides were still divided over “key issues”, the Iranian negotiator said, “We will by no means leave the negotiating table, but will not retreat an iota from Iran’s rights either.”

“The nuclear negotiations have reached a breathtaking point and both sides have entered into many details,” Araqchi pointed out.