Russia has urged Iran and the six major powers to agree on a venue and date for the next round of their talks on Tehran's nuclear program.
"It is now important to set a date and choose a place for the next round of negotiations as soon as possible. Time is running short ahead of November 24, which is the deadline for a new agreement," RIA Novosti quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Lukashevich as saying in a statement on Thursday.
Moscow's Creative Role
Lukashevich also dismissed reports that Russia had "showed not enough interest in reaching an agreement," saying that Moscow had been "not just constructive but also very creative in finding solutions that would suit all parties."
On Wednesday, a spokesman for the Austrian Foreign Ministry told RIA Novosti Iran and some members of the six powers — Russia, the United States, China, France, Britain, and Germany – are expected to meet in Vienna on October 15.
He noted that the meeting is unlikely to include the same members that negotiated in Vienna in previous rounds of talks and could be held separately between Iran and the United States or other six nations.
The West has claimed that Iran may have been seeking to develop the capability to build nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear program. Tehran denies the allegation, saying it nuclear work is meant only for peaceful purposes, such as power generation.
The latest round of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) on a final nuclear deal, which was held in New York from September 19 to 26, did not make any significant progress.
