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Germany urges major powers and Iran to seize fresh opportunity for a nuclear deal

Associated Press
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CAPTION CORRECTS ID AND JOB TITLE FROM EUROPEAN UNION HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FEDERICA MOGHERINI TO SWEDEN'S FOREIGN MINISTER MARGOT WALLSTROM Sweden's Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, center, speaks with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, right, during a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the EU Council building in Brussels on Monday, March 16, 2015. The European Union is debating ways to back peace talks in Libya but is unlikely to launch any security mission until stability returns to the conflict-torn country. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) (The Associated Press)

European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini, left, speaks with British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond during a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the EU Council building in Brussels on Monday, March 16, 2015. The European Union is debating ways to back peace talks in Libya but is unlikely to launch any security mission until stability returns to the conflict-torn country. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) (The Associated Press)

From left, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond stand for a group photo prior to a meeting in Brussels on Monday, March 16, 2015. European Union foreign ministers hold talks with Iran’s top diplomat on Monday to try to advance an agreement on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program two weeks ahead of a deadline for an accord to be reached. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) (The Associated Press)

Germany is urging its international partners and Iran to seize the opportunity to negotiate an end to the standoff over Tehran's nuclear program ahead of an end-of-month deadline.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Monday that after "more than 10 years of negotiations, we should seize this opportunity."

Steinmeier will join the foreign ministers of France and Britain and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini for talks in Brussels later Monday with their Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Iran says its nuclear program is aimed at generating electricity and at medical research but many in the West fear the Islamic Republic is trying to covertly build atomic weapons.