Russia hopes for Iran nuclear talks next month

TEHRAN,Dec.22(MNA) – Russia hopes the next round of talks between Tehran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) to resolve a protracted dispute over Iran’s nuclear program will take place in January, RIA news agency reported on Thursday. The agency quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying that the six major powers were still negotiating with the Islamic Republic on a possible date and venue for the talks, according to Reuters. “Currently negotiations are under way with Tehran on the place and date,” the foreign ministry spokesman told RIA. “We hope that this work will be completed in the near future and such a meeting will take place in January of next year.” The latest round of high-level talks between Iran and the 5+1 group was held in Moscow on June 18 and 19. Western powers want Iran to halt higher-grade enrichment of uranium. But Iran says it needs 20 percent enriched uranium to run the Tehran research reactor, which produces radioisotopes for cancer treatment. The Washington Post on December 15 quoted unnamed U.S. and European officials briefed on the matter as saying that the major powers had agreed on a new package of inducements to be offered to Iran if it agreed to freeze key parts of its nuclear program.