Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and EU Chief Diplomat Catherine Ashton are having informal talks in Istanbul within the framework of preparations for the next round of Iranian nuclear talks set for June 16-20, Trend reports.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for European and U.S. Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi and Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Arakchi have arrived in Istanbul together with Zarif.
Ashton is assisted by Deputy Secretary General of the External Action Service Helga Schmidt and her assistant Steven Clement.
The previous round of Iranian nuclear talks with the UK, China, France, Russia, U.S. and Germany was concluded in Vienna on May 16 to no avail. The intermediate agreement signed with Iran in Geneva in November 2013 expires on July 20. According to the document, Iran is to remove certain elements of the nuclear program in exchange for easing of sanctions.
