TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) decided to continue their experts talks after Christmas holidays.The announcement was made after a Sunday afternoon phone call between Iran's Foreign Minister and top negotiator Mohammad Javad Zarif and EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherin Ashton who heads the world powers delegations in the talks with Tehran.
During the phone conversation, the two high-ranking officials also conferred on the latest developments in the ongoing experts talks between Iran and the G5+1 in Geneva, and decided to continue the negotiations between their experts after Christmas.
Iran and the six world powers had their fourth day of expert-level talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on Sunday in a bid to devise mechanisms to implement the interim nuclear deal struck last month.
Officials from Iran and the Group 5+1 started their fifth round of talks in the Swiss city few hours ago after four rather lengthy meetings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The fourth round of talks which started on Saturday afternoon lasted until 3:00 local time on Sunday morning.
Hamid Baeidinejad, the director general for political and international affairs at Irans Foreign Ministry, leads the Iranian delegation, which includes experts from nuclear, banking, oil and transportation sectors.
Stephen Clement, who is an aide to the European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, heads the opposite negotiating team.
Iran and the six world powers resumed their talks in Geneva on Thursday evening and had two more sessions on Friday and one on Saturday.
Iran and the six world powers had an expert meeting in Vienna, Austria, on December 9.
The negotiations were scheduled to continue until December 13, but the Iranian negotiators cut short the talks and returned to Iran in protest at the US breach of the Geneva agreement by blacklisting a dozen companies and individuals for evading Washingtons sanctions.
US Secretary of State John Kerry tried to soothe Tehrans anger over Washingtons fresh sanctions in a phone call to his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif Monday night.
On November 24, Iran and the Group 5+1 sealed the six-month Joint Plan of Action to lay the groundwork for the full resolution of the Wests decade-old dispute with Iran over its nuclear energy program.
In exchange for Tehrans confidence-building bid to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities, the Sextet of world powers agreed to lift some of the existing sanctions against Tehran and continue talks with the country to settle all problems between the two sides.
Speaking to reporters after the phone conversation between the two top diplomats, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said, The phone call was initiated by the US secretary of state.
Afkham, who was speaking to reporters during a weekly press conference on Tuesday, told reporters that during the phone talk "he (Kerry) was informed of Irans dissatisfaction with the trend of the experts' plan and the details of the implementation of the Joint Plan of Action (the Geneva agreement).
Last Sunday, Zarif deplored Washington's recent move, and said Tehran would show a well-assessed and goal-oriented reaction to any measure adopted by the world powers in violation of the deal.
The Americans have taken improper measures in the last few days and we have given the appropriate response to them after considering all aspects of the issue, Zarif said.
He stressed that Tehran is seriously pursuing the Geneva negotiations with the G5+1, and we will, of course, show proper, well-assessed, targeted and smart reaction to any improper and unconstructive measure (of the opposite side even if it doesnt violate the Geneva agreement).
By Fars News Agency
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