Iran Nuclear Talks End Without Agreement

Iran's chief negotiator Saeed Jalili attends a news conference after the talks on Iran's

 nuclear programme in Almaty, April 6, 2013.

The European Union's foreign policy chief says nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers ended Saturday without any agreement, and there is no schedule for future meetings.

Catherine Ashton said the two sides "remain far apart on substance" after a second and final day of negotiations in Kazakhstan.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said there also was no agreement on a date or venue for further talks.

During two days of meetings in Almaty, Kazakhstan's former capital and largest city, the major powers had hoped to reach a compromise with Iran to resolve their concerns about the widespread belief that Tehran's nuclear development program conceals a covert effort to make nuclear bombs.

Delegates from the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany met with Iranian officials on proposals that would have allowed some exceptions to the international sanctions program against Iran, if authorities there would close a controversial nuclear facility and turn over the national stockpile of enriched uranium.

A spokesman for Ashton urged Iran earlier to take a "confidence-building step" and reassure the international community it is not engaged in a nuclear weapons program for military purposes.

Before the talks began Friday, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, said the world powers must recognize his country's right to enrich uranium. Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program has only peaceful purposes, including power generation.

The United States is at the talks together with the four other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council - Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany.