No deal at Iranian nuclear talks,despite 'concrete progress'

Published:2013-11-10 11:29:48    

International: French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Sunday that no deal had been reached at international talks in Geneva on Iran's nuclear programme.

"The meetings in Geneva have made it possible to move forward, but we have not yet managed to conclude (a deal), because there are still some questions remaining to be dealt with," Fabius said.

Three days of intensive talks about Iran's nuclear program concluded early Sunday without an agreement, though key players insisted they believed the process is moving in the right direction.

"A lot of concrete progress has been achieved, but some differences remain," European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton told reporters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif echoed that sentiment, saying "hopefully we will be able to reach an agreement when we meet again."

"I think we are all on the same wavelength, and that's important," Zarif said. "And that gives us the impetus to go forward."
The inclusion of top diplomats such as Zarif, Ashton and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry left some thinking that this latest meeting could lead to a breakthrough to satisfy the international community's desire that Iran not develop a nuclear weapon and, with that, a relaxation of crippling sanctions on the Middle Eastern nation.

That didn't prove to be the case this time, though the parties -- including Zarif and Ashton -- will meet again November 20. CNN & AFP

 

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