Geneva agreement important 1st step

BEIJING - A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday that a deal reached on Iran's nuclear program in Geneva is an important first step.

The P5+1 group - the five UN Security Council permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany - and Iran reached an agreement on Iran's nuclear program on Sunday in Geneva, Switzerland.

"We believe the agreement is mutually beneficial and win-win, and conforms to public expectations," said spokesman Qin Gang.

"China welcomes the agreement," he said, adding that it demonstrated whatever difficulties are faced and how complicated the situation is, as long as parties concerned remain committed to dialogue and negotiation in the spirit of mutual respect, a balanced solution can be found.

The agreement is only the beginning, Qin said, urging parties concerned to abide by and fulfill their responsibilities and obligations prescribed in the agreement, and carry out concrete measures.

Noting that there is still a long way ahead to resolve Iran's nuclear issue, he called on relevant parties to maintain the momentum of dialogue,work hard to start the second phase of negotiation as soon as possible, and make unremitting efforts for the long-term, comprehensive and proper resolution of the issue.

"China will continue to facilitate talks and play a constructive role in this respect," said the spokesman.