Experts from Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers have chosen January 20 to begin implementing the Geneva deal on Tehran's nuclear programme, IRNA news agency said Wednesday.

"One of the main proposals is to begin applying the agreement from January 20," the agency cited Hamid Baeedinejad as saying.

"There is agreement in principle on this date, which has yet to be approved by the politicians," he said.

Baeedinejad, who heads the Iranian delegation of experts, had already been reported on Tuesday by the ISNA news agency as saying the deal should be implemented in late January.

Experts from Iran and the so-called P5+1 -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany -- have been holding technical talks on implementing an agreement reached November 24 on Iran's controversial nuclear ambitions.

The interim deal requires that Iran freeze or curb its nuclear activities for six months in exchange for some sanctions relief while the two sides try to reach a comprehensive agreement.

On Tuesday, Tehran's lead negotiator Abbas Araqchi reported "good progress" in the technical talks.

Baeedinejad said on Wednesday that "two or three issues of a political nature must be resolved at political levels", without elaborating.

Western nations and Israel have long suspected Iran is covertly pursuing a nuclear weapons capability alongside its civilian programme, charges denied by Tehran, which insists its uranium enrichment is for purely peaceful purposes.

Iran says 'good progress' in nuclear talks
Tehran (AFP) Dec 31, 2013 - Iran's chief negotiator said Tuesday talks in Geneva with world powers through the night on implementing a landmark nuclear deal had made "good progress," according to media.

Negotiations continued throughout the night until early on Tuesday morning in Geneva "and the two sides have made good progress on different issues," lead negotiator Abbas Araqchi said in comments carried by official news agency IRNA.

They are "going to submit their conclusions to the vice-ministers and political heads because there are still questions to be resolved on the political level," he said, stressing that "the experts had done their work".

He added that there would probably be "a meeting next week with Olga Schmitt," the deputy to European Union foreign policy head Catherine Ashton, who has been representing the P5+1 group in Tehran.

Experts from Iran and the so-called P5+1 -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany -- have been holding technical talks on implementing an agreement reached November 24 on Iran's controversial nuclear programme.

The interim deal requires that Iran freeze or curb its nuclear activities for six months in exchange for some sanctions relief while the two sides try to reach a comprehensive agreement.

Hamid Baeedinejad, who heads the Iranian delegation of experts, said the Geneva agreement should be implemented in late January, the ISNA news agency reported.

"According to the conclusions of talks held with technical experts from the P5+1 group, it has been agreed to start the application of he Geneva agreement in the last 10 days of January," he said.

Baeedinejad said that "political officials" from the two parties had yet to endorse an application date.

Western nations and Israel have long suspected Iran is covertly pursuing a nuclear weapons capability alongside its civilian programme, charges denied by Tehran, which insists its uranium enrichment is for purely peaceful purposes.