Tehran [Iran], April 15: Tehran's foreign minister will travel to Moscow this week for consultations over Iran's nuclear talks with the United States, Iran and Russia have announced.
Abbas Araghchi will visit the Iranian ally later this week, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. The announcement of the trip - during which Araghchi will meet his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, Moscow said - came as details emerged regarding a second set of talks between Iran and the United States to follow up on an initial meeting over the weekend in Oman.
Araghchi's visit to Russia "was planned in advance, but there will be consultations regarding the talks with the US", Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said. Iran and the US said over the weekend that they had held "positive" and "constructive" talks although the negotiations remain indirect with Oman acting as mediator. The two nations have agreed to reconvene on Saturday with reports on Monday suggesting that Rome will play host, though Iran reportedly prefers Geneva.
The US and its Western allies accuse Iran of seeking to use its nuclear programme to develop weapons. Tehran says the work has only civilian purposes. Iran's diplomatic efforts to resolve the nuclear dispute and lift sanctions on its struggling economy have accelerated amid demands from US President Donald Trump, which have come with threats of military action. Russia, a veto-wielding permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has played a role in recent years in nuclear negotiations between the West and Iran.
Source: Qatar Tribune
