TEHRAN, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Senior diplomats from Iran and Qatar on Wednesday discussed the implementation of the recently signed U.S.-Iran peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) and challenges facing the process in the Qatari capital of Doha, said the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi and Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani explored ways to accelerate the MoU's implementation, particularly regarding ending the war in Lebanon, and to expand bilateral cooperation in the areas of common interest, the ministry said in a statement.
Following the bilateral meeting, senior negotiators from Iran, Qatar and Pakistan held a trilateral session on the implementation process, it said, without identifying the participants.
Working groups have been formed to follow up on the MoU's implementation and final agreement talks, though negotiations have not yet begun, Gharibabadi noted, adding that consultations on the date and venue are continuing through mediators, read the statement.
According to the statement, the Iranian delegation to Doha headed by Gharibabadi also includes representatives of Iran's Foreign Ministry, Central Bank and Agriculture Ministry.
On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that the talks between the Iranian delegation and Qatari officials on Wednesday would focus on the release of Iran's frozen assets, and that no meetings with U.S. officials at any level had been scheduled for the coming days.
Earlier on Wednesday, an informed source told Xinhua that indirect talks between the United States and Iran are underway in Doha under the mediation of Qatar and Pakistan, which are focusing on the MoU's implementation, including issues related to frozen Iranian assets and maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. ■
