German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Monday said that he was confident of reaching a deal to save the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran "in the coming weeks".
"We think [the talks] can reach their goal," he said in Madrid after a gathering of the Stockholm Initiative, a group of 16 states working towards nuclear disarmament.
"I think we'll get there in the coming weeks," Mr Maas said.
The talks with Iran resumed in April in Vienna.
The negotiations aim to save the deal between Iran and the five permanent UN Security Council member states, plus Germany.
In 2018, under the administration of former president Donald Trump, the US walked away from the accords designed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
After the Stockholm Initiative meeting in Madrid, member countries "renewed their appeal to all states possessing nuclear weapons ... to promote disarmament by adopting significant measures" to comply with the global Non-Proliferation Treaty, they said.
Stockholm member states' foreign ministers were meeting before the next review conference on the treaty, which has been delayed until early next year because of the coronavirus pandemic, Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said.
The initiative's members include current co-chairs Germany, Spain and Sweden, as well as Argentina, Canada, South Korea, Ethiopia, Finland, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Norway, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
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Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank