Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has termed as “fruitful and extensive” the nuclear talks between Tehran and P5+1 in Vienna, saying negotiations were “a good start” for reaching a final agreement.

We had three fruitful and extensive working days and both sides have the feeling that it was a good start for the difficult task we have ahead,” Zarif said in a joint press conference with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in Vienna on February 20.

The talks over Iran’s nuclear energy program started between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, China, Russia, France and Britain - plus Germany in the Austrian capital, Vienna, on February 18.

The discussions were presided over by Zarif and Ashton, Press TV reported.

“In addition to the discussions we had at the political level, we also started technical discussions,” Zarif said, adding that the two sides also agreed upon a time frame to follow up issues in the next four months.

The top Iranian diplomat said that during the talks in Vienna, both sides came up with a framework for comprehensive talks to reach a final agreement.

To that end, Zarif said, technical experts from both sides would meet in March, adding that he would hold a meeting with Ashton on March 17.

Ashton, for her part, said, “We had three very productive days during which we identified all the issues we need to address (to reach a final agreement). There is a lot to do. It won’t be easy but we’ve made a good start.”

She said that both sides had identified the issues that would be addressed in the negotiations ahead.

The talks in Vienna came after the two sides clinched a landmark interim deal in the Swiss city of Geneva in November 2013. The deal took effect on January 20.