UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed last week’s talks between Iran and the P5+1, urging both sides to use their achievements in Istanbul as a basis for the next summit in Baghdad.
“On Iran, the only acceptable outcome is a peaceful settlement that restores international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, in conformity with the NPT,” Ban told a UN Security Council meeting on nuclear non-proliferation on Thursday.
“In this regard, I welcome the initial round of talks held in Istanbul between Iran and the E3+3 (Britain, France, Russia, China, the United States and Germany-- also known as the P5+1). I hope that the parties build upon this at their next meeting in Baghdad,” he said.
He also underlined the need for both sides “to agree on concrete and reciprocal steps towards a comprehensive negotiated solution” over Iran’s nuclear issue.
Iran and the P5+1 wrapped up their latest negotiations in the Turkish city of Istanbul on April 14.
They agreed to hold the next round of talks in the iraqi capital of Baghdad on May 23, 2012. Both sides hailed the discussions as constructive.
Tehran and the P5+1have already held two rounds of talks, one in Geneva in December 2010 and another in Istanbul in January 2011.
AR/MFB/AZ
