Decision on new round of P5+1-Iran talks should be made as soon as possible - Russian diplomat
MOSCOW. Oct 8 (Interfax) - No decision has yet been made on the organization of a full-format round of negotiations between the P5+1 group of world powers and Iran, including on its date and venue, and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton are likely to address the matter at a meeting next week, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
"No decision has been made as of today regarding the organization of a full-format round involving representatives of all members of the P5+1. This issue is being coordinated now. As for possible contacts in Vienna [next week], as far as we understand, this is possible, but the matter concerns a meeting at the Ashton-Zarif level. We don't have information on this yet, but we presume that such a meeting could take place in the near future, after which a full-format round would be held," Ryabkov told Interfax on Wednesday.
"A full-format round has not been agreed upon yet, but this needs to be clarified sooner so as to arrive at a commonly acceptable formula," he said.
In commenting on reports that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry could join Zarif and Ashton, Ryabkov said, "I don't know anything about this. We don't know about the Secretary of State's plans here, but American-Iranian contacts also took place in New York [in September] at all levels, including the level of the Secretary of State and the Iranian minister. And this is not some extraordinary event. In principle, this form of dialogue has become conventional, but I simply don't know anything concrete."
