Iran wants to see draft nuclear agreement develop

VIENNA, March 18 (UPI) -- Iran wants to work toward a draft agreement on a comprehensive solution to a lingering nuclear row with Western powers, the foreign minister said Tuesday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met Tuesday in Vienna with Catherine Ashton, the foreign policy chief for the European Union, to discuss prospects for a comprehensive nuclear agreement.

Iran agreed to curb its nuclear research activity in exchange for relief from Western economic sanctions in November. Zarif said Tuesday enrichment issues, peaceful nuclear cooperation and the removal of sanctions were among the items on the table during talks in Vienna.

"We hope that in this round and next rounds we could be able to prepare the draft of the comprehensive plan," he was quoted by Iran's semiofficial Mehr News Agency as saying.

Zarif said Monday he wasn't optimistic about this week's talks. Negotiations later this week may be at the deputy level, the Iranian government said.

Ashton frustrated Iranian officials when she met with female dissidents during her trip last week to Tehran.

Her spokesman, Michael Mann, was quoted by Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency as saying Tuesday's talks were constructive.

"Good progress" was made Tuesday and there is "no reason to believe" negotiations wouldn't continue in good faith, he said.