A nuclear negotiator said the meeting between Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his US counterpart John Kerry in Geneva on Saturday was to focus on unresolved issues in the nuclear talks with the major powers over Tehran's nuclear program, including finding a mechanism for the implementation of the IAEA Additional Protocol.
"Today's bilateral ministerial meeting will discuss substantive issues and the questions for which no solution has been found yet," Abbas Araqchi was quoted by IRNA as saying on Saturday ahead of the meeting.
"The manner of implementing the Additional Protocol is one of the remaining differences which we are working on."
Iran has closed the case of the demand by some parties that international inspectors be allowed to interview nuclear scientists and be granted access to military sites under a prospective accord by rejecting it, Araqchi said, adding, "However, the talks are proceeding within the framework of the procedures outlined in the Additional Protocol."
Iran and the powers have until June 30 to iron out the details of the final deal.
France has indicated talks are likely to slip into July. Abbas Araqchi also warned that the deadline might need to be extended.
This is while the United States has said it will not extend the negotiations beyond the deadline. "We really do believe we can get it done by (June) 30th and we're not contemplating an extension. We just aren't," Reuters quoted an unnamed US State Department official as telling reporters.
"We are on a good track right now to make progress and we absolutely believe it is possible we can get this done by June 30," he added.
Zarif, when asked at the start of the talks on Saturday whether the deadline would be met, replied, "We will try."
