Rocky_Shorz
7th November 2010, 21:32
TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran said on Sunday it has informed Ankara that Tehran is ready to hold talks in Turkey with the six world powers over its controversial nuclear programme, turning to a country seen as an ally.
European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, spearheading the negotiations with Iran for the world powers, last month proposed to hold the talks in Vienna where the UN nuclear watchdog is based starting November 15.
"In the last two or three days, we informed our Turkish friends that we agree to hold negotiations in Turkey," Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters, asked for a venue.
Iranian media, meanwhile, reported that Karim Bagheri, the deputy of Iran's nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, had visited Turkey on Thursday.
Jalili informed Ashton in October that his country was prepared to resume nuclear talks after November 10 at a time and place agreed by both sides, according to the state news agency IRNA.
On Sunday, an Iranian conservative newspaper, Vatan Emrouz, without quoting a source, reported that the negotiations would be held by the end of November in Turkey.
The nuclear talks between Iran and the six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Russia, Germany and the United States -- have been deadlocked since October 2009 when the two sides met in Geneva.
The world powers led by the United States suspect that Iran is masking a weapons drive under the guise of a civilian nuclear programme, a charge Tehran strongly denies.
Mottaki said the Islamic republic was "very optimistic" about the next round of talks.
"I hope we will reach an agreement soon over the date and the contents," he said. "We are very optimistic the discussions will start as soon as possible, as the overall approach of Iran is positive and constructive."
Iran has always insisted the talks be held on its package of proposals given to world powers before the October 2009 round of talks. That package talks of overall global nuclear disarmament.
But world powers insist the talks focus on Iran's nuclear programme.
The deadlock with world powers has already led to fresh UN and EU sanctions against Iran, which were followed by several other unilateral punitive measures by other nations, including the United States.
Western media reports say Washington plans to offer Iran "tough" proposals during negotiations following Tehran's refusal to abandon the uranium enrichment programme, the most controversial part of its nuclear drive.
story link (http://www.iranfocus.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22167:iran-says-ready-to-hold-nuclear-talks-in-turkey&catid=8:nuclear&Itemid=45)
European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, spearheading the negotiations with Iran for the world powers, last month proposed to hold the talks in Vienna where the UN nuclear watchdog is based starting November 15.
"In the last two or three days, we informed our Turkish friends that we agree to hold negotiations in Turkey," Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters, asked for a venue.
Iranian media, meanwhile, reported that Karim Bagheri, the deputy of Iran's nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, had visited Turkey on Thursday.
Jalili informed Ashton in October that his country was prepared to resume nuclear talks after November 10 at a time and place agreed by both sides, according to the state news agency IRNA.
On Sunday, an Iranian conservative newspaper, Vatan Emrouz, without quoting a source, reported that the negotiations would be held by the end of November in Turkey.
The nuclear talks between Iran and the six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Russia, Germany and the United States -- have been deadlocked since October 2009 when the two sides met in Geneva.
The world powers led by the United States suspect that Iran is masking a weapons drive under the guise of a civilian nuclear programme, a charge Tehran strongly denies.
Mottaki said the Islamic republic was "very optimistic" about the next round of talks.
"I hope we will reach an agreement soon over the date and the contents," he said. "We are very optimistic the discussions will start as soon as possible, as the overall approach of Iran is positive and constructive."
Iran has always insisted the talks be held on its package of proposals given to world powers before the October 2009 round of talks. That package talks of overall global nuclear disarmament.
But world powers insist the talks focus on Iran's nuclear programme.
The deadlock with world powers has already led to fresh UN and EU sanctions against Iran, which were followed by several other unilateral punitive measures by other nations, including the United States.
Western media reports say Washington plans to offer Iran "tough" proposals during negotiations following Tehran's refusal to abandon the uranium enrichment programme, the most controversial part of its nuclear drive.
story link (http://www.iranfocus.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22167:iran-says-ready-to-hold-nuclear-talks-in-turkey&catid=8:nuclear&Itemid=45)