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Russian deputy foreign minister to meet Iranian foreign minister in Tehran

An Iranian diplomatic source told TASS that the parties will discuss various aspects of the negotiating process between Iran and the six world powers

MOSCOW, January 12. /TASS/. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in Tehran on Monday.

An Iranian diplomatic source told TASS that the parties will discuss various aspects of the negotiating process between Iran and the six world powers (five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany).

“The purpose of the talks in the Iranian capital is clarifying the positions and co-ordination of various issues for the successful completion of the ongoing consultations on the nuclear issue,” said the source.

He added that Ryabkov’s meeting with Zarif would be held in the morning.

The source also confirmed that Zarif’s meeting with U.S. Secretary John Kerry is planned in Geneva on January 14. Representatives of the U.S. Department of State said previously that the consultations with Kerry would precede the next round of the negotiations between the six world powers and Iran. It will also be held in Geneva. The agreed upon date is January 18.

In the period from 14 to 17 January, delegations participating in the development of a comprehensive agreement on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme will meet also there.

Catherine Ashton who until December 1, 2014 was the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, will traditionally preside over the Iran - six talks. She currently holds the post of the EU Special Representative. The U.S. delegation will be headed by Acting Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.

Diplomatic sources in Tehran told TASS previously that before the next round of the negotiations in Geneva, representatives of Iran will hold bilateral consultations not only with the Americans, but also with other members of the international “sextet.” The Russian delegation, as before, will be headed by Sergei Ryabkov.

Negotiations of the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany with Iran on closing the country’s “nuclear dossier” continued throughout the past year. The parties failed to reach a final agreement, as planned, by November 24 and agreed to continue the dialogue for another seven months, until the end of June. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany and Tehran have agreed to extend the deadline for an agreement in the talks on Iran’s nuclear program to June 30. Iran says it needs nuclear power to generate electricity, but Western powers led by the United States claim Iran’s eventual aim is to create nuclear weapons.

The previous round of negotiations was held in Geneva in mid-December.