Nuclear official: Iran, world powers to discuss general issues in talks

The representatives of Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) are due to discuss general points in their Tuesday talks in Geneva, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said. "We don’t expect to discuss (detailed) contents in today's meeting since only the generalities will be discussed, and I think that principles, timing and the preliminary measures for starting the process will be studied," Salehi told FNA on Tuesday. Stressing that the atmosphere of the new round of talks between Iran and the world powers is different from the previous meetings, he said, "The current (Iranian) team of negotiators has entered the talks with some authorities and the other side has also showed some readiness." "Anyway, we want to do the negotiations under a new atmosphere," Salehi said. In relevant remarks today, Salehi stressed Tehran's readiness to obviate the concerns of the western states in the new round of talks with the world powers, and said the other side should recognize Iran's inalienable rights in return. "Despite the fact that we don’t accept the basics of the westerners' concerns and don’t assume them to be fair, we can obviate them using international mechanisms, treaties and laws and regulations," he said. "We can obviate these concerns through their own ways, which is giving the necessary guarantees for non-diversion and they should recognize our rights (in return)," he added. Salehi expressed the hope that Iran and the Group 5+1 could take the first step for the settlement of Tehran's nuclear issue in Tuesday and Wednesday negotiations in Geneva by doing the abovementioned. In relevant remarks on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who heads the Iranian delegation in talks with the world powers, said his team of negotiators does not plan to give or take concessions to or from the six world powers in tomorrow's talks, reiterating that Iran only wants to play a win-win game with the G5+1. “Our basis in the negotiations is not giving and taking concessions,” the Iranian foreign minister told reporters upon his arrival in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday. He underlined that Iran is looking for a win-win game in talks with the Group 5+1. Zarif said that Iran will present a set of proposals during the meeting with the Group 5+1 on Tuesday and Wednesday. According to source, Iran’s proposals are based on fully rational and pragmatic approaches and comprise three parts. The first and the last steps of these proposals have been specified and have a timeline. Zarif, heading a high-ranking delegation, left Tehran for Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday. The Iranian foreign minister and his accompanying delegation are slated to meet their counterparts from the G5+1 states to discuss Iran's nuclear issue and the western sanctions in a high-profile meeting in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday. Zarif's accompanying delegation is comprised of Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Seyed Abbas Araqchi, Foreign Ministry's Director-General for the Economic and Specialized International Affairs Hamid Ba'eedinejad, Legal Advisor to the Foreign Ministry Davoud Mohammadnia, and Mohammad Amiri from the AEOI. Iran and the world powers held a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York in September and decided to meet again in Geneva on October 15-16.