By IRNA,
London : The UK has welcomed the resumption of 5+1 talks with Iran after more than a year, saying negotiations are the “only realistic way” of resolving concerns about nuclear issues.
“Geneva was the start of a process, and there is agreement on the need to continue this. However, this should not be an open-ended process and we need to see progress,” Foreign Office spokesman Barry Marston said.
“As was made clear after the meeting; the continuation of these talks in late January in Istanbul will have an underlying agenda of discussing practical ideas and ways of co-operating towards a resolution of our core concerns about the nuclear issue,” Marston told IRNA.
Iranian diplomats and their 5+1 counterparts returned to Geneva on Monday to resume talks over a number of issues, including nuclear issue as well as a wider agenda, including the obligations of world powers.
Although the mood in the run-up to the discussions was largely negative, the UK said it was seeking to make “serious progress” with Iran leading to transformed relations and enhanced cooperation in nuclear, technological, economic and other fields.
Marston said that as EU High Representative Cathy Ashton stated at the meeting, the 5+1 of Britain, the US, Russia, China, France and Germany are ready “to address and to seek common ground also on other issues of mutual interest”.
“As we have always said, we are not against Iran developing civil nuclear power. But, the right to develop nuclear power comes with obligations and the concerns of the international community should be addressed,” he said about one of the core nuclear dispute..
“The only realistic and satisfactory means of resolving the nuclear issue is around a negotiating table,” the British official, who specialises in Middle East affairs, said.
“Sanctions and other international pressure are merely a means to an end in helping secure this result,” he said.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said lifting sanctions imposed on Iran would help the talks succeed.
“Now that we have entered a process of negotiation, we hope that all will have the political will to see this through to the end in seeking to achieve a diplomatic solution satisfactory and beneficial to all, including Iranians,” Marston added.