Parties agree to second round of talks
Posted: Thursday, October 01, 2009 12:14 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
Andrea Mitchell, State Dept.
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
GENEVA, Switzerland -- The talks between the P5+1 and Iran have ended and, per a senior U.S. official, all parties have agreed to a second round of talks by the end of the month.
The U.S. and Iran had their first meetings, direct talks -- in 30 years -- during a lunch break in the group session.
Deputy U.S. Spokesman Robert Wood confirmed that "On the margins of the meeting this morning Undersecretary of State William Burns met with the Iranian representative Saeed Jalili."
Prior to the direct talks during the lunch break, the opening plenary session was a restatement of previous positions by both sides, according to sources inside the meeting.
A U.S. official tells NBC News, "The morning session was their first encounter since July 2008, so it was largely a statement of the positions of the Iranians and the P5+1, which included the need for unfettered access to Qom, and the need for concrete steps to demonstrate that the Iranian nuclear program is peaceful."
Here's some color and details on the lunch, according to a U.S. official inside the talks:
The lunch was buffet style. Officials from the P5+1, as well as the Iranians, dined and mingled. Some ate while seated; others stood at tables. They mostly collected in the backyard of the Villa le Saugy, with a view of Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps. Many different groups would huddle together, quietly discussing issues in sidebar conversations.
Some menu items: Trout almondine, sliced, cold Sablefish, assorted cheeses and meats, cooked chicken with sauce, rice salad with olives, potato salad, tomato salad with olive oil, carrot salad. For dessert, there was chocolate mousse and creme brulee. For drinks, there was lots of strong coffee, wine (Domaine de La Republique et Canton de Geneve), Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
