Updated 2:18 p.m. Moscow Time
MOSCOW, October 6 (RIA Novosti) – The date of the next round of talks between Iran and the group of six nations negotiating with the Islamic Republic on its controversial nuclear program may be announced within the coming two weeks, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Monday.
"We hope that there will be some clarity [about the meeting] in the coming ten or 14 days. Not just some clarity, but the exact date will be known, as well as how intense the future work will be," he said.
The Russian diplomat said the full-format meeting will be preceded by consultations between Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and the EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
Iran and six powers – Russia, the United States, Germany, France, Britain and China – agreed at the talks in Geneva in November 2013 to adopt a document by July 20, 2014 that would assure peaceful purposes of Iran's nuclear program in exchange of lifting international sanctions against the Islamic Republic. The adoption of the document was postponed till November.
The West accuses Tehran of working on nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear program, the claim that has been repeatedly denied by Iranian authorities.
