- ISTANBUL: Iran and world powers agreed yesterday to hold a new round of talks in Baghdad on May 23, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said after the first meeting in more than a year on Tehran's disputed nuclear program.
“We want now to move to a sustained process of dialogue ... We will be guided by (the) principle of step by step approach,” Ashton told a news conference, calling the first meeting useful and constructive. “We will meet on May 23 in Baghdad.”
Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili praised the “desire of the other side for dialogue and cooperation. We consider that as a positive sign ... For the Iranian people the language of threat and pressure doesn’t work.”
He said progress was made during the talks and called for confidence-building measures when negotiations resume next month.
“We witnessed progress, there were differences of opinion ... but the points we agreed on were important,” Jalili told a news conference.
“The next talks should be based on confidence-building measures, which would build the confidence of Iranians,” Jalili said, adding an Iranian request for lifting of sanctions should be one of the issues included.