Iranian negotiator: Serious about talks By CONSTANT BRAND,...

Iranian negotiator: Serious about talks By CONSTANT BRAND, Associated Press Writer
Thu Jul 6, 5:03 PM ET



Iran's top nuclear negotiator said Thursday his country remains serious about continuing negotiations to defuse the international standoff over its nuclear program, which the West fears could be used to make weapons.

Ali Larijani spoke at the start of an informal working dinner with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

"We are serious about the continued negotiations," Larijani told reporters, adding that formal talks would be held next Tuesday.

Solana said he was "looking to get this process going, it is going to be beneficial for both" sides.

Officials said Larijani would fly to Madrid, Spain, after the dinner meeting and no statements would be made about the outcome of the preliminary talks before next week's round.

"We are going to work and not talk much," to you reporters, Solana said.

Iran has been offered a package by the five permanent U.N. Security Council members plus Germany that includes incentives such as nuclear expertise and reactors. It calls on Iran to suspend uranium enrichment for the duration of any negotiations, and sets out the priority of a long-term moratorium on such activity until the international community is convinced that Iran's nuclear aims are peaceful.

Solana has been appointed the interlocutor on behalf of the EU, Russia and the United States to handle Iranian questions on the package.

Western diplomats have threatened to restart efforts to punish Iran through possible U.N. Security Council sanctions unless Tehran stops enrichment and agrees to talks by July 12, when foreign ministers of the five permanent Security Council nations and Germany consult in Paris.

Tehran has asserted repeatedly that its nuclear program, which includes uranium enrichment, is peaceful and aimed at generating power. But the U.S., Israel and the EU fear the research program is a cover for the development of nuclear weapons.

Larijani was supposed to have come to Brussels Wednesday to respond to the package submitted to Iran last month, but that meeting was called off at the last minute and rescheduled for Thursday. Tehran cited anger over a rally in Paris by exile groups and the appearance of an Iranian opposition leader in the European Parliament as the reason for the unexpected delay.

EU spokeswoman Cristina Gallach said the two delegations will meet again next Tuesday in Brussels to formally address the issue. Iranian officials have said they will seek explanations for "ambiguities" contained in the offer put forward by the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.

In Washington on Wednesday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Iran needed to give "a substantive response" to a Western overture meant to end the crisis before the Group of Eight leaders meet later this month in St. Petersburg, Russia.

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin also urged Iran Thursday to respond swiftly to the proposal to ease concerns over its nuclear program. But he said it was too early to discuss imposing sanctions on Tehran, suggesting that could be counterproductive.

"I would not rush forward and talk about sanctions," Putin said.

Earlier this week, EU officials said they did not anticipate Larijani would fully respond to the offer, but only seek clarification of several points of the package — and perhaps come up with a counterproposal.

Work on a Security Council resolution was suspended May 3 to allow the six powers to draw up the plan of perks if Iran agrees to a long-term moratorium on enrichment — or punishments that include the threat of selective U.N. sanctions if it does not.

Possible U.N.-mandated sanctions include a visa ban on government officials, freezing assets, blocking financial transactions by government figures and those involved in the country's nuclear program, an arms embargo and a blockade on the shipping of refined oil products.