HispanicBusiness

Almaty, Kazakhstan (dpa) - Iran and the P5+1 group began the second day of talks Saturday on the Islamic Republic's disputed nuclear program, which the West suspects is designed to make atomic weapons.

There was no progress on the first day as Iran refused to focus merely on the agenda of replying to proposals by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France - plus Germany.

The P5+1 proposal demands Iran reduce activities at its second enrichment site of Fordow, and cut back the 20-per-cent uranium enrichment process.

Iran rejects the proposal as "not sufficiently balanced." Tehran demands recognition of its rights to pursue peaceful nuclear programmes and the lifting of all related sanctions.

The world powers have so far rejected the demands and insist that Iran must first remove all concerns over possible military purposes before any easing of sanctions.