Representatives of Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers hold nuclear talks in the Kazakh city of Almaty, April 6, 2013.<\/p>\n
A \u00c5\u201csenior Western diplomat\u201d has reportedly said the election of Hassan Rohani as Iran\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s next president can be \u00c5\u201can opportunity\u201d in the future talks between the P5+1 group of world powers and Iran.\n<\/p>\n
\u00c5\u201cRohani’s election could provide an opportunity,\u201d the diplomat said on Friday on condition of anonymity, Reuters reported.\n<\/p>\n
Hassan Rohani won an outright victory in Iran’s June 14 presidential election, which was marked by a high voter turnout. He will succeed outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on August 3.\n<\/p>\n
The diplomat added that the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Russia, China, France, Britain, and the United States plus Germany – expect that Iran would \u00c5\u201csoon\u201d appoint a new negotiating team, so the talks can resume \u00c5\u201cas soon as possible,\u201d which echoes earlier comments by the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton.\n<\/p>\n
\u00c5\u201cWe (the P5+1) very much hope that will be soon and we look forward to meeting with them as soon as possible,\u201d said Ashton, after a meeting of top officials from the six countries in Brussels on Tuesday.\n<\/p>\n
Iran and the P5+1 group have held several rounds of talks on a range of issues, with the main focus being on Iran\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s nuclear energy program. The two sides wrapped up their latest round of negotiations on April 6 in the Kazakh city of Almaty. An earlier meeting had been held in Almaty on February 26-27.\n<\/p>\n
The US, Israel, and some of their allies have repeatedly charged that Iran may intend to acquire nuclear-weapons capability in the future.\n<\/p>\n
Tehran has categorically rejected the accusation, arguing that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it is entitled to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.\n<\/p>\n
In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence showing that Tehran\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s nuclear energy program has been diverted toward non-civilian objectives.\n<\/p>\n
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