Iran's Soltanieh Optimistic With Talks With IAEA

Vienna, Aug 25, IRNA -- Iran's permanent IAEA envoy, Ali-Asghar Soltanieh, on Friday expressed optimism over progress in talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the country's peaceful nuclear program. Talking to reporters while going into a meeting with the IAEA, the first since June, at Iran's embassy in Vienna, Soltanieh said that he expected "progress" in talks Friday. "We are expecting progress at this meeting," said Soltanieh. "The fact that we are continuing these talks with the agency indicates that we are determined to move to a positive conclusion.... Both sides are trying to bridge the gap," he said. The meeting comes ahead of the release, possibly next week, of the IAEA's latest quarterly report on Iran./end