Iran's foreign ministry tasked with leading nuke talks

Tehran, Sept 6: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has tasked the foreign ministry with conducting the upcoming nuclear talks with the world powers, Xinhua reported citing a report by semi-official Fars news agency on Thursday.

Mohammad-Javad Zarif, the country's new foreign minister, is an experienced diplomat over Iran's controversial nuclear programme and was a member of the Iranian nuclear negotiating team, led by Rouhani, from 2003 to 2005.

Iran's new govt and the world powers have shown interest for resuming N-talks.

However, it has not been disclosed that whether Zarif or another official from the foreign ministry will head the Iranian team in the talks.

Rouhani's Thursday decree means the ministry will take over the responsibility to conduct nuclear talks from the Supreme National Security Council of the country.

Both Iran's new government and the world powers have shown interest for resuming nuclear talks after the last round of negotiations, which were held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in April.

IANS