Iranian top nuclear negotiator AliLarijani and the European
Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana will hold talks over
Iran's nuclear issue next week, the official IRNA news agency
reported on Wednesday.
Larijani and Solana agreed in a phone conversation to meet next
week in one of the European capital cities to hold a new round of
nuclear talks, the report said.
During their conversation, the two officials exchanged views on
an offer made by the five UN Security Council permanent members
plus Germany over Iran's nuclear program and Tehran's response,
IRNA said.
Larijani, who arrived in Syria in the morning on a one-day
visit, underlined the importance of negotiations over the nuclear
standoff.
"It is important that the negotiations go on in a constructive
manner and we are continuing them with Javier Solana," Larijani
said, adding, "The negotiations are continuing in order to create a
climate of security and stability in the region."
The last round of talks between the two top officials took place
at the Austrian Chancellor's Palace in Vienna on Sept. 9.
The United States had previously been pushing for sanctions
after Iran failed to meet a UN Security Council resolution calling
for Tehran to halt uranium enrichment by August 31.
IAEA chief Mohammed El Baradei has presented a report to the UN
Security Council saying, "Iran has continued enriching uranium
despite a UN nuclear deadline for it to suspend or face possible
sanctions."
At an informal meeting in Brussels earlier this month, European
Union foreign ministers decided to maintain serious talks with
Tehran in efforts to solve Iran's nuclear issue through
diplomacy.
(Xinhua News Agency September 21, 2006)
