Though officials say they are still waiting for the “formal confirmation” of every nation’s participation, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton announced today that the P5+1 talks with Iran will likely begin on December 5 in Geneva.
Iran had previously sought to have the talks held in Turkey, an offer that was angrily spurned by some P5+1 members, who insisted the talks would have to take place in either Austria or Switzerland. It seems the later was eventually settled on.
The talks have been in the offing for several months, with Iran having agreed several times to EU demands for such talks only to be greeted with another identical demand. Neither side has agreed on an agenda for the talks yet, however.
Reportedly the US will offer a new, worse version of the third party enrichment deal Iran agreed to in the wake of last year’s talks. Iran is expected to reject the deal, and neither side has suggested any alternatives.