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Political directors of P5+1 group to meet in Geneva

The next six months will be a “test” period for Tehran, and if it “passes this exam” under the international community’s control, the sides will approach the signing of a more comprehensive agreement

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IAEA inspectors to control Geneva agreements fulfillment by Iran

GENEVA, January 21. /ITAR-TASS/. The political directors of the six world powers (five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, P5+1) will gather in Geneva on Tuesday to discuss further steps to resolve the situation around the Iranian “nuclear dossier.”

The meeting was initiated by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton. The Russian delegation will be headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, the American - by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman. Itar-Tass has learned that Iranian officials this time would not take part in the consultations.

Such a meeting is called for the first time since the P5+1 political directors and Iran reached in Geneva on November 24 an interim agreement, which became a kind of the first step towards resolving concerns of the international community over Tehran’s nuclear program. The document with the validity period of six months officially took effect on January 20. On the same day, the International Atomic News Agency (IAEA) confirmed, Iran suspended uranium 20-percent enrichment, in accordance with the Geneva agreements.

In this connection the European Union immediately announced the suspension of a number of sanctions on Iran. It is planned, in particular, to temporarily lift the bans on financial transactions with Iran, investment in the Iranian petrochemical industry, insurance of Iranian oil tankers and trade in precious stones and metals with Tehran.

In addition to the commitment to stop uranium enrichment above 5 percent, Iran also undertook in six months to destroy all stocks of nuclear materials enriched up to 20 percent, cease installing any enrichment centrifuges, stop building new uranium enrichment centers and discontinue the development of the program for the production of plutonium.

So, the next six months will be a “test” period for Tehran, and if it “passes this exam” under the international community’s control, the sides will approach the signing of a more comprehensive agreement.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after talks with Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif in Moscow on January 16 urged all the parties concerned to continue constructive co-operation. “We believe it is important to continue constructive co-operation among all the participants in the process in order to preserve and strengthen the joint work atmosphere formed in Geneva, strictly comply with international law norms and avoid making statements or actions that would go beyond these limits and that may negatively affect the negotiations,” Lavrov said. The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that Moscow, as before, “will do everything that depends on it to ensure positive dynamics of the P5+1 dialogue with Iran and finally settle the problem at the negotiating table.

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