UN report says Iran upholding its interim nuclear guidelines
In November 2013, Iran reportedly halted its most sensitive nuclear activity and took other steps in exchange for some easing of economic sanctions; Foreign ministers due to meet Saturday.
By REUTERSSatellite image shows a nuclear facility in Iran(photo credit: REUTERS)
VIENNA - Iran has continued to meet its commitments under an interim nuclear agreement with six world powers, a confidential United Nations nuclear agency report seen by Reuters showed on Friday.The monthly update by the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran was not enriching uranium above a fissile concentration of 5 percent. It also said Iran had not made "any further advances" in its activities at two enrichment facilities and a heavy water reactor under construction.Under the November 2013 accord between Iran and the United States, France, Germany, Russia, China and Britain, the Islamic Republic halted its most sensitive nuclear activity and took other steps in exchange for some easing of economic sanctions.It was negotiated to buy time for talks on a final settlement of a dispute over the nuclear program that Iran says is peaceful but the West fears may be aimed at developing the capability to produce nuclear weapons.Talks are in full swing ahead of an end-March deadline to reach a framework accord.The British, French and German foreign ministers are due to meet Iranian nuclear negotiators in Switzerland on Saturday, European diplomatic sources told Reuters.However, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was still unsure on Friday whether he would definitely go ahead in Lausanne on Saturday, his spokesman said."Mr. Steinmeier is in hourly contact with the German negotiating team in Lausanne, and it is not yet decided whether he should travel to Lausanne for the negotiations or not - or not yet," said Steinmeier's spokesman Martin Schaefer.German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and British Prime Minister David Cameron discussed Iran earlier on Friday on the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels, a spokeswoman for the German chancellor said.A senior European Union negotiator at the talks said on Thursday the talks were unlikely to yield a framework agreement in the coming days as the sides were still far apart on key issues.
