Nuclear talks with Iran wrap up

(Vatican Radio) Negotiators say two days of nuclear talks in Geneva between Iran's new government and the United Nations contact group achieved new levels of specificity and openness.

The European Union's top foreign policy official, Catherine Ashton, has said that world powers and Iran have had "their most detailed talks ever" on Iran's nuclear program.

The two sides have held two days of discussions in Geneva, with further talks now slated to take place on 7 and 8 November.

The discussions in Geneva brought together Iranian officials and representatives of the "P5+1" — the permanent members of the UN Security Council (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States) — plus Germany - also known as the E3+3.

At a news conference afterwards, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he hoped the talks would lead to the "beginning of a new phase in our relations".

The West suspects Tehran of seeking to build nuclear weapons, but Iran says its program is purely for peaceful purposes.

Since 2006, the UN Security Council has imposed a series of sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, on entities and people involved in Iran's nuclear program.

Listen to the report by Nathan Morley: