Envoy Optimistic about Progressive Trend of Talks between Iran, IAEA

(FNA)- Iran's Residing Representative at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Reza Najafi on Friday voiced satisfaction over the significant progress made in the talks between Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog in finalizing the two remaining steps of their May agreement.

Najafi pointed of the fruitfulness of the latest round of two-day negotiations between the IAEA and Iran, saying, the talks were fruitful and serious.

He announced that the two sides will have another meeting in the near future, most likely in November.

A delegation of the IAEA arrived in Tehran on Tuesday.

Iranian officials and the visiting IAEA delegation headed by Deputy Director-General and Head of the Department of Safeguards of the nuclear monitoring body Tero Varjoranta discussed the way of implementing the remaining steps of their agreement.

Iran and the IAEA have been holding talks on Iran’s nuclear energy technology almost concurrent with discussions between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, France and Britain plus Germany) on the same issue.

In November 2013, Iran and the IAEA signed a joint statement to outline a roadmap for mutual cooperation on certain outstanding nuclear issues.

On May 21, the two sides held a technical meeting on the Framework for Cooperation agreed in November 2013. During the meeting, they agreed on five practical measures which were to be implemented by August 25.

On September 15, Amano confirmed that Iran had enforced three of the five transparency measures, saying Tehran and the IAEA had begun talks on the implementation of the two remaining measures.