File photo of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said today his sanctions hit country would try to secure a deal in negotiations with world powers on its long-running nuclear dispute.
"Iran will do its best for a final deal with the P5+1," made up of the five permanent UN Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany, Rouhani told a business forum in Ankara through translated remarks.
His comments came as Tehran and Washington began a second day of talks in Geneva on Iran's nuclear programme, which the West suspects masks military objectives.
"Iran is ready to sit at the negotiating table for a solution" to the nuclear dispute, as well as "unfair sanctions" imposed by the West, Rouhani said.
"Iran has taken this step with the Geneva deal," he said, referring to a temporary deal struck in November between Tehran and world powers aimed at slowing the country's nuclear development programme in exchange for lifting some sanctions.
A deadline of July 20 has been set to turn this temporary deal into a more formal agreement.