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Iran, World Powers Discuss Nuclear Deal


People pass by Palais Coburg hotel where nuclear talks are taking place in Vienna, Feb. 19, 2014.
People pass by Palais Coburg hotel where nuclear talks are taking place in Vienna, Feb. 19, 2014.
Representatives from Iran and a group of six world powers are meeting for a second day in Vienna, as they continue to work on a long-term agreement to ensure Iran's nuclear program is peaceful.

Wednesday's meeting follows an opening session that Michael Mann, the spokesman for European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton called "substantive".

“The words that we used to describe the talks yesterday were ‘substantive’ and ‘useful.’ And I think that still applies. So good work is being done, and we continue to work very hard toward making solid progress,” Mann toldl reporters.

The goal of the talks is to assure the international community that Tehran's nuclear program is not aimed at building a nuclear weapon, as Iran says, and to end international economic sanctions. But all that is a long way off.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday his country would not scrap any of its nuclear facilities as part of a comprehensive agreement.

Diplomats hope to emerge from this week’s first round with a framework for the hard negotiations that lie ahead. The interim deal they negotiated late last year expires in July, unless they agree to extend it.

VOA's Al Pessin contributed to this report from Vienna.

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