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Experts of Six, Iran, IAEA to meet at negotiaing table in Vienna on Wednesday

IAEA Deputy Direcotr-General for Security expressed hope that an approache to settling matters concerning Iran's nuclear ptogramme would be found shortly

VIENNA, October 30 (Itar-Tass) - The experts of the Six international mediator countries (five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) together with specialists of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and Iranian diplomats will for the first time take their seats at the negotiating table here on Wednesday during a two-day round of expert consultations. These will begin Wednesday with a meeting between a Tehran delegation and experts of the Six at the European Union (EU) representative officce in Vienna.

Several diplomatic source in the Austrian capital confirmed in Itar-Tass interviews that thet alks would be continued most likely at the IAEA office on Thursday with IAEA specialists invited. "Such a format is needed to synchronize the negotiating process on both tracks in the light of the new proposals made by Tehran recently," explained a diplomat of one of the Six countries.

A regular round of consultations between Iran and the IAEA ended in Vienna on Tuesday. Both sides referred to the round as productive. Tero Varjoranta, IAEA Deputy Direcotr-General, for Security, expressed hope that an approache to settling matters concerning Iran's nuclear ptogramme would be found shortly. In so doing. both negotiating sides declined to specify measures suggested on Monday by Tehran. "At present, we have not yet fixed the matter. We are yet to compare details ahead of next meeting," Reza Najafi, Permanent Representative of Iran at the IAEA, said, adding that the sides had decided to keep the contents of understandings confidential.

The negotiating teams in Vienna are to prepare Iran's Geneva meeting with the Six at political directors' level. The meeting is scheduled for November 7-8. A round of negotiations between the Iranian side and IAEA experts is to be heldl in Tehran on November 11. Experts expect that that negotiating round may become decisive for settling the outstanding questins about Iran's nuclear programme.