Print

Mail

wiki links

Iran, EU claim progress achieved in nuclear talks

Iran's senior nuclear negotiator said yesterday that "many misunderstandings were removed" in talks with the EU about his country's refusal to meet UN Security Council demands that it freeze uranium enrichment.

The EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, agreed that progress was made in a second day of talks with Iranian top negotiator Ali Larijani, and that talks would continue next week.

"The meeting has been worth it," he said.

The two had hoped to build on reported progress in efforts to reconcile Tehran's rejection of the UN demand.

The meeting has been billed as possibly the last chance for Iran to avoid penalties for rejecting the UN Security Council's demand that it stop enriching uranium, which can be used to make nuclear weapons.

On Saturday, Larijani spoke of "good and constructive talks, and ... some progress in some areas," while Solana's spokeswoman, Cristina Gallach, described them as "constructive and positive."

The two sides have been working to see if there is common ground for negotiations between six world powers and Iran over its nuclear defiance.

While the five permanent Security Council members and Germany have demanded that Iran fully freeze enrichment as a condition for further talks, Tehran has steadfastly refused to do so.

With positions seemingly so far apart, hopes for success had been slim for the mission by Solana -- who is authorized by the six powers to carry their message and listen to the Iranians, without actually negotiating.

Still, positions appeared to have shifted slightly.

European officials, who asked for anonymity in return for sharing confidential information, suggested that at least some of the six nations were ready to listen if Iran committed itself to an enrichment freeze soon after the start of negotiations instead of as a condition for such talks.

The officials declined to provide details. But such readiness would be a blow to US-led attempts to hold fast to the demand that Iran freeze enrichment before any talks -- or face the prospect of Security Council sanctions.

One of the officials said Solana discussed the issue with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice before going into the meeting, but declined to offer details.

As late as Friday, US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said Washington expected the Security Council to start discussing a draft on sanctions as early as next week, unless Tehran does a last-minute turn.

But there might be opposition to that within the council. Russia and China have resisted a quick move to sanctions even though they agree to them as the ultimate punishment. French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy on Thursday appeared to suggest that the demand to stop enrichment before talks was negotiable, saying: "The question is to know at what moment this suspension takes place compared to negotiations."

He later appeared to reverse himself, saying in separate comments that "suspension ... is an absolute prerequisite for restoring trust and resuming negotiations."
This story has been viewed 2694 times.