Ball is now in world powers’ court: Iran’s nuclear negotiator

TEHRAN,April 13(MNA) – Iran’s deputy chief nuclear negotiator said that Tehran put forward its proposals in the latest round of nuclear talks and world powers should respond now. Iran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) failed to reach any agreement during two days of talks over Tehran’s nuclear program in the Kazakh city of Almaty on April 5 and 6. “The ball is now in the 5+1 group’s court. We proposed a framework, and they should do something in return in their proposals,” Ali Baqeri, the deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said in an interview broadcast live on Iranian television on Thursday night. The second round of talks in Almaty was a “turning point” because world powers realized that they have no option but to enter into “serious” negotiations with Iran, he said. “The Iranian side, with a clear logic, said that it will accept some proposals in return for proportional offers. They insisted that we should accept all their proposals, but we stated that Iran’s rights should first be recognized,” he added. Elsewhere in his remarks, Baqeri said that the talks should result in the recognition of Iran’s nuclear rights and the lifting of sanctions against the country. There has been little public discussion of the details of proposals put forward by world powers in nuclear talks in Almaty. However, according to the New York Times, the major powers demanded that Iran suspend enrichment work at the Fordo facility - where it enriches uranium to 20 percent - and agree to unspecified conditions that would make it hard to quickly resume production. They also said Iran could continue to keep a small amount of uranium enriched to 20 percent for use in the Tehran research reactor, which produces medical isotopes for cancer treatment. Iran’s main demand is that its right to enrich uranium be recognized.