Araqchi, Schmidt begin second day of talks in Geneva

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and senior negotiator in talks with the six world powers (the US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany) Seyed Abbas Araqchi and EU Deputy Foreign Policy Chief Helga Schmidt started their second of talks in Geneva on Friday. Araqchi and Schmidt began their talks in Geneva’s Intercontinental Hotel at 9:40 local time today. On Thursday, US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman, Araqchi and Schmidt held talks on the remaining issues related to the "Joint Plan of Action." On November 24, Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) sealed a six-month Joint Plan of Action to lay the groundwork for the full resolution of the West’s decade-old dispute with Iran over its nuclear energy program. In exchange for Tehran’s confidence-building bid to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities, the Sextet of world powers agreed to lift some of the existing sanctions against Tehran and continue talks with the country to settle all problems between the two sides. Iran and the six world powers ended a third round of expert-level talks in Geneva, Switzerland, last Tuesday in a bid to devise mechanisms to implement the interim nuclear deal struck in November. The foreign ministry officials in Tehran announced on Friday that the timeline for the implementation of the November nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers will be set after an upcoming meeting between senior Iranian and EU negotiators,. “The exact date for the implementation of the Geneva agreement will be after an upcoming meeting between Schmidt and Araqchi,” Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister and senior negotiator in talks with the world powers Majid Takht Ravanchi said. In relevant remarks on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined the country’s commitment to its undertakings based on the Geneva deal struck with the world powers in November, and said Tehran is serious about implementing the Joint Plan of Action. “We are much serious about continuing the path based on the Joint Plan of Action agreed by the ministers (of Iran and the Group 5+1) in Geneva and we believe that progress and entering the next difficult stage, or in other words negotiation and reaching a comprehensive solution, is completely possible through the other side’s commitment to the Geneva agreement,” Zarif said on his Facebook status on Wednesday. “The nuclear negotiations are underway seriously and with strong political will; the expert delegations of Iran and the G5+1 have had tens of hours of intensive negotiations and reached positive results,” he added.