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Report: Iran, U.S. to begin nuclear talks

Xinhua, February 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

Delegations from Iran and the United States will sit for another round of nuclear talks in Geneva on Friday, Iranian state media reported Thursday.

The talks will begin as a bilateral meeting between Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and U.S. Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted Araqchi as saying.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-javad Zarif and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will join the talks on Sunday and Monday, Araqchi said.

Following the bilateral talks, further discussions may be held with the participation of other members of the P5+1 group, he added.

Iran and the P5+1 group, which comprises the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany, should reach a political framework deal before March 2015 and a comprehensive deal before July, according to statements made after the previous round of nuclear talks in November 2014.

However, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei expressed concerns over the two-phased arrangement earlier this month, saying a framework agreement on generalities may be abused by Iran's opponents as a tool for bargaining over details in the final deal. Endit