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UN SG satisfied with results of Sextet/Iran talks in Almaty

The Iranian Permanent Mission to the U.N. named the Almaty meetings as “positive steps”

UNITED NATIONS ORGANISATION, February 28 (Itar-Tass) – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he is satisfied with the results of the talks between the Sextet and Iran on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

In the telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Wednesday, February 27, Ban Ki-moon said he is inspired by an agreement, which had been reached by the Sextet and Iran in Almaty, on the date and places of next meetings.

At the same time, the U.N. Secretary-General stressed that Tehran should win confidence of the international community.

After the two-day talks the Sextet (Russia, Britain, Germany, China, the United States and France) and Iran reached agreement on holding an expert meeting in Istanbul on March 18 and a new conference of the political directors in Almaty on April 5-6.

Russia and the United States named the Almaty consultations as “useful”. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said: “The meeting was useful. Additional contacts took place during the day. The work will be continued tomorrow.”

At the same time, U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the Sextet’s proposal would open the way to the talks on reaching a long-term comprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear problem.

The Iranian Permanent Mission to the U.N. named the Almaty meetings as “positive steps” and the Sextet’s proposals as “more realistic than earlier”. “They tried to bring their positions closer on certain issues. It seems to us a positive moment despite the fact that we have to go through a long way before taking an optimal decision,” the Iranian Permanent Mission told Itar-Tass.