Summary Iranian and foreign nuclear experts to discuss Iran controversial atomic programme.
ISTANBUL (AFP) - Iranian and foreign nuclear experts gathered in Istanbul on Monday to discuss Tehran s controversial atomic programme, a European Union spokeswoman said.
"The meeting is taking place at the expert-level as planned," said Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who is leading talks between Iran and the so-called P5+1 -- Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany.
The closed-door meeting is being held in a secret location in the Turkish city, Kocijancic added.
The West and Israel suspect Tehran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons under the guise of what the Islamic republic insists is a purely civilian programme with peaceful ends.
Iran and the P5+1 resumed discussions over the decade-old dispute late February after a months-long break and failed meetings in Istanbul, Baghdad and Moscow.
The talks -- held in Kazakhstan -- saw the five UN Security Council members and Germany offer Iran a softening of non-oil or financial sector-related sanctions in exchange for concessions over Tehran s sensitive uranium enrichment operations.
The offer reportedly involves easing sanctions on Iran s gold and precious metals trade and lifting some very small banking operations.
In return, it demands a tougher weapons inspection regime and the interruption of enrichment operations at the feared Fordo bunker facility where 20-percent enrichment goes on.
The talks were praised by Tehran as a possible turning point in the dispute, and the next political-level meeting takes place in the Kazakh city of Almaty on April 5-6.
