The Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) had an "unprecedented" retreat from their previous stance during the Almaty talks, diplomatic sources said.

During the Almaty talks between Iran and the G5+1, the six world powers have retreated from their previous stances "in an unprecedented manner", several diplomatic sources present in Almaty talks said.

The last round of the fresh talks between Tehran and the Group 5+1 ended in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday.

Representatives of Iran and the world powers held the second round of talks in Almaty's Rixos Hotel, Kazakhstan, this morning.

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili headed the Islamic Republic's negotiating delegation. The G5+1's representatives were led by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

The first round of talks between Iran and the G5+1 was held in Almaty's Rixos Hotel yesterday and lasted for almost three hours.

During the talks Iran and the world powers agreed to hold an experts meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 17-18 and then continue their talks at the level of their top negotiators in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on April 5-6.

Iran and the G5+1 have already held three rounds of talks in Geneva, two rounds in Istanbul, one round in Baghdad and one round in Moscow. The last round of talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 was held in Moscow in June.
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News ID 184340