The incentives designed to persuade Iran to curb its nuclear program contain "positive steps" and "ambiguities," Iran's top nuclear negotiator said yesterday.
Speaking on state television after receiving the proposals from EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Ali Larijani said they had "constructive" talks and Iran would respond after studying the incentives.
The proposals, which the big five of the UN Security Council and Germany agreed on Friday, represent a major effort to persuade Iran to step back from uranium enrichment -- a process that can be used for making nuclear bombs as well as fuel for reactors that generate electricity.
"The proposals contain positive steps and also some ambiguities, which must be removed," Larijani said.
Larijani did not identify the "ambiguities," but he said he had discussed them with Solana and that more talks would be needed.
"We hope we will have negotiations and deliberations again after we have carefully studied the proposals," Larijani said.
Solana, who arrived in Tehran on Monday night, met Larijani for two hours at the Supreme National Security Council building in central Tehran. Journalists were barred from the building.
Solana had told reporters at Tehran airport the West wanted "a new relationship" with Iran and that the package would "allow us to engage in negotiations based on trust, respect and confidence."
Details of the proposals have not been made public, but an early draft indicated that if Iran agrees to abandon uranium enrichment, the world would offer it help in building nuclear reactors, a guaranteed supply of nuclear fuel, and European Airbus aircraft. The US has reportedly sweetened the offer by saying it would lift some bilateral sanctions on Iran, such as a ban on Boeing passenger aircraft and related parts, if Iran agrees to an enrichment freeze.
The offer contains the implicit threat of Security Council sanctions if Iran continues to insist on enriching uranium.
Iran has so far insisted that as a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty it is entitled to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. But the world is suspicious of its nuclear plans because it concealed significant aspects of its program for many years.
Solana had been expected to explain the details of the package but go no further.
"This trip is not a negotiating trip. Mr. Solana is here just to present the package to Iranian officials," an official at the Supreme National Security Council said, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The EU envoy, who is heading a seven-person delegation, is due to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki before leaving Iran yesterday.
Iran announced April 11 that it had enriched uranium for the first time, using 164 centrifuges.
The country would need tens of thousands of centrifuges to produce adequate fuel for a nuclear reactor or material for a warhead.
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