TEHRAN: Iran says it hopes upcoming talks with an EU official could pave the way for the resumption of high-level negotiations with world powers over Tehran's controversial nuclear programme.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says the July 24 meeting between Iran's No 2 negotiator Ali Bagheri and Helga Schmid, deputy of the EU foreign policy chief, will be key to a possible resumption of the stalled negotiations.

Talks last month in Moscow failed to bridge differences between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany but the sides agreed to continue lower-level technical talks to see if there was a way to break the deadlock.—AP