TEHRAN: Iran welcomes nuclear talks with the US and other countries, Tehran’s top nuclear negotiator said yesterday.
The negotiator, Saeed Jalili, made the comments during a telephone call with the European Union’s foreign policy chief, state television reported. During the conversation, Jalili said the talks should be aimed at “constructive cooperation” between countries.
Last week, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran was open to talks — but only if they were based on respect for Iran’s rights, suggesting the West should not try to force Tehran to stop uranium enrichment. Jalili’s comments appeared to be more of a definitive answer, but he stressed that Iran would issue an official response to the invitation soon, the TV reported. He did not elaborate.
The US announced last week that it would join direct talks with Iran that Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia are seeking to convene. The talks aim to break a long deadlock over Iran’s nuclear program, which the US and its allies fear aims to build atomic weapons. Iran denies the charge.
Ahmadinejad said on Thursday that Iran would present a new proposal for negotiations, saying “conditions have changed” — an apparent reference to US President Barack Obama’s election and Iran’s own progress in its nuclear program since previous talks with Iran were held last year.
He didn’t elaborate on the proposal.
Jalili also insisted in his conversation with Javier Solana, the EU foreign policy chief, that the all parties involved in the talks should have the “right understanding of international developments and realities,” the TV reported.
