Updated 3:47 p.m. Moscow Time
VIENNA, October 9 (RIA Novosti) – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran agreed to continue talks on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear issue, the agency said in a statement Thursday.
The IAEA and the Islamic Republic of Iran held technical meetings within the Framework for Cooperation on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss "practical measures… agreed in May 2014 in the third step of the Framework for Cooperation," IAEA said.
"Iran did not propose any new measures during the meetings in Tehran. Iran and the Agency agreed to meet again, at a date to be announced," the statement said. "The Agency and Iran will continue discussions on these measures."
Earlier on Wednesday, a spokesman for the Austrian Foreign Ministry told RIA Novosti Iran and the six nations negotiating with the Islamic Republic on its controversial nuclear program may meet in Vienna on October 15.
He noted that the meeting is unlikely to be comprised of the same members that negotiated in Vienna during previous rounds of talks, including Iran and six powers — Russia, the United States, Germany, France, Britain and China and could be held separately between Iran and the United States or other six nations representatives.
The West has accused Tehran of developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear program — claims repeatedly denied by the Iranian authorities. At a meeting held in November 2013 in Geneva, Iran and the P5+1 group agreed to reach a long-term nuclear agreement by July 2014. The deadline was later postponed to November 2014.
The latest round of negotiations took place on September 24, when the group of international mediators met with the Iranian delegation in New York to discuss the Islamic Republic nuclear program, although they failed to reach an agreement with Tehran on any of the key issues.
