Categories: Hard NewsNuclear

Iran, French foreign ministers discuss key developments in Paris

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his French counterpart, Laurent Fabius, have exchanged views on ways to settle the remaining issues over Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

During their meeting in the French capital, Paris, on Friday, Zarif and Fabius stressed the importance of using the current opportunity to solve the nuclear issue.

They also discussed the latest developments in ties between Iran and the European Union and avenues toward the expansion of bilateral relations.

The two sides further urged international consensus for a fundamental, nondiscriminatory and all-out fight against terrorism and also urged an end to direct and indirect support by some countries for known terrorist groups.

The meeting between the Iranian and French ministers came after Zarif held nuclear talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry for the fourth time over the past three days.

On January 14, Zarif and Kerry held three rounds of intense negotiations in the Swiss city of Geneva to help speed up the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group – Russia, China, France, Britain, the US and Germany – over Tehran’s peaceful nuclear work.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany wrapped up their latest round of nuclear talks in Geneva on December 17, 2014.

The two sides agreed to extend their discussions for seven more months until July 1, 2015.

The scale of Iran’s uranium enrichment and the timetable for the lifting of anti-Iran sanctions are seen as major sticking points in the talks.

Emad Askarieh

Emad Askarieh has worked as a journalist since 2002. The main focus of his work is foreign policy and world diplomacy. He started his career at Iran Front Page Media Group, and is currently serving as the World Editor and the Vice-President for Executive Affairs at the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website.