Iran and the P5+1 group (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) started fresh nuclear talks in Turkey's Istanbul city on Monday.

The talks began at 10:00 a.m. local time (0800 GMT) in Swiss Hotel in Istanbul, although consultations had begun on Sunday shortly after the delegations from the P5+1 arrived in Istanbul.

The closed-door meeting is set to discuss the agenda for the next round of talks to be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan in April. Participating parties are expected to issue a statement at the end of their two-day talks.