DHAKA: Iran’s foreign minister has expressed cautious optimism about upcoming talks on Iran`s nuclear programme, saying the issue is ‘not insoluble’.

World powers and Iran are due to meet in Geneva later on Thursday for a further round of discussions.

Iran foreign minister Javad Zarif said the talks would be ‘highly laboured’ but the aim was to ‘cross over the wall of distrust’ created by Western policies.

The West suspects Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons.

Tehran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.

In comments broadcast on Iranian TV on Thursday, Zarif repeated Iran’s long-standing assertion that to ‘refrain from seeking nuclear weapons is a policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran;, reports the BBC.

The two-day meetings in Geneva come after the two sides described last month’s discussions on the issue as ‘substantive and forward-looking’.

BDST: 1414 HRS, NOV 07, 2013
RoR/BSK