GENEVA: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Thursday it was possible to reach a deal with world powers on Tehran's nuclear programme by the end of talks in Geneva on Friday.

“I believe it is possible to reach an understanding or an agreement before we close these negotiations tomorrow evening,” Zarif told CNN after a first day of talks between Iran and six world powers.

World powers, earlier in the day, began two days of talks with Iran in Geneva, hoping to reach a “first step” deal over Tehran's nuclear programme.

He said Tehran was “prepared to address the most immediate concerns” about its nuclear programme but insisted it would not fully give up enrichment.

“There won't be a suspension of our enrichment in its entirety but we can deal with the various issues on the table,” he said.

He said there had been agreement at the talks on a framework for the deal and that Friday could see the drafting of a joint statement.

“Now we know what the ingredients should be... and I think our colleagues are ready to start drafting,” Zarif said.

“I hope that by tomorrow morning we can start serious work in order to prepare some kind of joint statement.” He refused to go into specifics, saying: “We are at a very sensitive stage of negotiations and it's best if these negotiations are done at the negotiating table.”

He said the election of Iran's new President Hassan Rouhani, seen as a relative moderate, had presented a rare chance for a deal.

“There is a window of opportunity now that has been created by the Iranian people... and that opportunity needs to be seized.”