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Geneva talks on Iran nuclear plan continue

World powers resumed negotiations in Geneva with Iran on Wednesday over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme, more than three weeks after they last met and gave themselves another seven months to conclude a deal.

Published: 17 December 2014 13:39 CET

Political directors of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany — the so-called P5+1 — were holding a one-day meeting in the Swiss city with the Iranians, mediated by the European Union.

An EU spokeswoman in the Swiss city told AFP the talks had begun, without giving further details.

No announcements are expected after the discussions conclude.

The US and Iranian delegations met on Monday and Tuesday in Geneva in preparation for the multilateral talks, led by Acting Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Iran's deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi.

The P5+1, which comprises China, the United States, France, Russia, Britain and Germany, last held formal talks with the Iranians last month in Vienna.

They failed to meet a November 24th deadline for a comprehensive deal with Iran on reining in its nuclear programme in exchange for an easing of crippling international sanctions.

All parties agreed to give themselves seven more months — until June 30 — to strike a deal, although they said they hoped to have the broad outlines hammered out by March.

A final agreement is aimed at ensuring Tehran will never develop nuclear weapons under the guise of its civilian activities.

Iran denies that it is seeking the bomb and maintains its nuclear activities are for solely peaceful purposes.

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'The war must end now': UN Sec-Gen meets Swedish PM in Stockholm

After a bilateral meeting with Magdalena Andersson on the security situation in Europe, Guterres warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could lead to a global food crisis that would hurt some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

“It is causing immense suffering, destruction and devastation of the country. But it also inflames a three-dimensional global crisis in food, energy and finance that is pummelling the most vulnerable people, countries and economies,” the Portuguese diplomat told a joint press conference with Andersson.

He stressed the need for “quick and decisive action to ensure a steady flow of food and energy,” including “lifting export restrictions, allocating surpluses and reserves to vulnerable populations and addressing food price increases to calm market volatility.”

Between the two, Russia and Ukraine produce around 30 percent of the global wheat supply.

Guterres was in Stockholm to take part in the Stockholm 50+ conference, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment.

The conference, which was held on the suggestion of the Swedish government in 1972 was the first UN meeting to discuss human impacts on the global environment, and led to the establishment of the UN Environment Program (UNEP).

At the joint press conference, Andersson said that discussions continued between Sweden and Turkey over the country’s continuing opposition to Sweden’s application to join the Nato security alliance.

“We have held discussions with Turkey and I’m looking forward to continuing the constructive meetings with Turkey in the near future,” she said, while refusing to go into detail on Turkey’s demands.

“We are going to take the demands which have been made of Sweden directly with them, and the same goes for any misunderstandings which have arisen,” she said.

At the press conference, Guterres condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine as “a violation of its territorial integrity and a violation of the UN Charter”.

“The war must end now,” he said.

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