Istanbul talks hint at raising the siege

By Vahe Petrossian London

 20 April 2012 05:41 GMT

Iran has raised the prospect of a quick and comprehensive resolution of its nuclear dispute with the West if the US and its allies make a gesture of goodwill by starting to lift sanctions by the time the two sides meet again next month.

The offer came after Iran and the big powers held an apparently productive meeting in Istanbul over the weekend.

Observers said many obstacles remain to any agreement, but the two sides described the talks as positive, and set a date of 23 May for their next meeting in Baghdad.

The latest round of negotiations has been described by US President Barack Obama as a last chance to diplomatically resolve the issue of whether or not Iran has a nuclear weapons programme.

The talks coincide with very tough US-led sanctions, which have seriously damaged Iran’s…

Become an Upstream member!

Membership includes a subscription to our weekly newspaper providing in-depth news from the energy industry, plus full-access to this site and its archives. Still not convinced? Try our free trial.

Already a member?

Login

Upstream share price index