(Reuters) – World powers will hold the next round of nuclear negotiations with Iran on April 14 in Istanbul, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Sunday.

Ashton represents six world powers – the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany – in dealings with Iran.

“We have agreed to launch talks in Istanbul on April 14,” the spokesman said.

“We hope that this first round will produce a conducive environment for concrete progress. We are of course aiming at a sustained process,” he said.