EU foreign policy chief hopes Iran-5+1 talks will produce ‘concrete’ results

TEHRAN, May 12 (MNA) - European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton expressed hope that the next round of talks between Iran and world powers would produce “concrete” results. Tehran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) held a new round of talks in Istanbul on April 14, breaking a 15-month hiatus in talks, and agreed to meet again in Baghdad on May 23. The two sides described the Istanbul talks as positive. Ashton represents the six major powers in nuclear negotiations with Iran. Speaking during a joint press conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari in Brussels on Friday, Ashton said, “My ambition is that we come away with the beginning of the end of the (alleged) nuclear weapons program in Iran,” Reuters reported. “I hope we’ll see the beginnings of success,” she added. The European Union foreign policy chief also stated that she would approach the talks as a “serious set of discussions that can lead to concrete results.” Iranian officials have expressed optimism about the upcoming talks, saying that more progress will be made during the negotiations. However, Iranian political analysts say that they are not optimistic about the outcome of the Baghdad talks. Analysts in Tehran told the Tehran Times on May 9 that recent nuclear demands made by the European Union and the United States have diminished the prospects for negotiations. The EU told Iran on May 7 that it must suspend uranium enrichment and the U.S. called on Iran on the same day to take “urgent practical steps” to build confidence during its negotiations with world powers. According to the analysts, it seems that Israeli National Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror’s recent meetings with European officials, who had toned down their “provocative rhetoric” against the Islamic Republic after the Istanbul talks, prompted them to shift policy and make remarks which run counter to the agreements made during the talks.