TEHRAN: Iran favors dialogue with world powers over its nuclear program and will soon give its official response to an invitation for talks, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in remarks published yesterday.
It was the latest signal from Tehran that it will accept the offer of discussions with the United States, Russia, China, France, Germany and Britain. Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator on Monday said Tehran would welcome “constructive” dialogue.
The six powers said last week they would ask European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana to invite Iran to a meeting to find “a diplomatic solution to this critical issue,” referring to the long-running nuclear row.
It marked a significant shift in US policy under President Barack Obama, whose predecessor George W. Bush shunned direct talks with Iran as long as it pressed ahead with uranium enrichment that the West fears is meant to yield atomic bombs.
Asked about the invitation, Ahmadinejad said Iran’s response “will soon be given in a statement,” the semi-official Fars News Agency reported. “However, we’re inclined to dialogue and in this statement the framework of the talks and Iran’s position will be announced,” Ahmadinejad said in a meeting on Thursday evening with Iranians living abroad, Fars reported.
