WORLD POWERS AND IRAN FAIL TO BREAK DEADLOCK ON NUCLEAR TALKS
Six world powers failed to come to an agreement with Iran on an approach to reducing fears that Tehran might use its nuclear technology to make weapons, according to European Union's (EU)
foreign policy Chief. Declaring that the two sides were far apart on substance, EU's head of foreign policy Catherine Ashton said that although there were expectations that the negotiations were making progress, the two sides had failed to make enough headway to qualify the meeting as a success at the end of two-day talks.
It may be recalled that Iran and world powers met on April 6, 2013 for the second and final day of new talks aimed at breaking a decade-old deadlock over Tehran's nuclear drive, with the clock again ticking down on efforts to find a solution.
The two sides held an indecisive first day of negotiations in the Kazakh city of Almaty on April 5, 2013 that ended with only an agreement to meet again and Western officials admitting the positions were still far apart.
They most notably failed to resolve the main issue on the table-whether Iran will accept some demands concerning its nuclear programme in return for relief on the sanctions that have been
imposed on the Islamic republic and hurt its economy in the past two years.
EU foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton started the day on April 5 by meeting Chief Iranian negotiator Saeed Jalili.
The Issue of International Recognition
The two sides also exchanged views on ways to progress along the path of negotiations. Iran resolutely insists on international recognition of its right to enrich uranium and wants that
condition be a part of any deal. The world powers on the other hand say that the onus is on Iran to take the first step. They insist on it ending enrichment to high levels and shuttering the Fordo mountain bunker where such activity takes place before any recognition for Iran's nuclear rights is granted.
The talks concluded on April 6, 2013 after two plenary sessions lasting a combined six hours with Iran answering a series of questions about its list of demands. A Western official said
the two sides still had strongly differing visions of ways to solve the dispute. "We had a long and substantial discussion on the issues, but we remain a long way apart on the substance," the
Western official said after April 6's talks.
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