The Islamic republic of Iran and 5+1 group have agreed to continue their second round of talks in Baghdad on May 23, after having ended the first round in Istanbul Saturday, IRNA reported.

The Islamic Republic of Iran and 5+1 group have agreed to continue their second round of talks in Baghdad on May 23, after having ended the first round in Istanbul Saturday, IRNA reported.

In this context, AFP quoted EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton as saying that “there had been constructive and useful" talks in Istanbul Saturday with Iranian chief negotiator Saeed Jalili,” indicating that “the meeting in Iraq on May 23 must take us forward in a very concrete way.”

In parallel, the United States and other Western nations stressed the need for the next round of discussions to get to the core of the Iranian nuclear program.

The White House hailed the "positive attitude" from Iran and world powers on Saturday, while British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement that the talks "were a first step towards that objective, but there is still a long way to go."

"We now need agreement on urgent, practical steps to build confidence around the world that Iran will implement its international obligations and does not intend to build a nuclear weapon," he Hague said.

France took a similar position, as French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said, in a statement issued in Paris, that “Iran has to make urgent and concrete gestures to establish confidence.” 

For his part, Jalili praised the "desire of the other side for dialogue and cooperation. We consider that as a positive sign... For the Iranian people the language of threat and pressure doesn't work."

Speaking to reporters after the talks, the Iranian official reiterated the Islamic Republic’s rejection of suspending its 20 percent uranium enrichment, stating that “we will embark in our needs on the basis of our rights and within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).”