“Dialogue and cooperation is the only right path to resolve the [Iranian nuclear] issue. It is urgent for the six countries to hold a new round of talks with Iran as soon as possible,” Xinhua quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei as saying on Wednesday.
Hong also expressed optimism that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will deal with Iran’s nuclear energy program in an objective and balanced way and play a constructive role in promoting the diplomatic effort to resolve the dispute over the Iranian nuclear energy program.
The deputies to Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton held day-long talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul on July 24.
The meeting between Ali Baqeri and Helga Schmid was held three weeks after Iran and the P5+1 held expert-level talks on July 3 in Istanbul with the participation of representatives and experts from both sides.
The two sides had already agreed to hold the expert-level talks during their negotiations in the Russian capital, Moscow, in June.
At the heart of the Moscow negotiations was Iran’s nuclear energy program, with Tehran reiterating its inalienable right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.
The United States, Israel and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.
Iran rejects the allegations, arguing that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the IAEA, it is entitled to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
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