Iran 'welcomes' more nuke talks

2007-05-05 16:20

Tehran - Iran's foreign minister welcomed a Swiss proposal for continued talks on Tehran's disputed nuclear programme, Iranian media said on Saturday.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki met a Swiss envoy on the sidelines of a May 3 to May 4 international conference in Egypt organised to seek ways to end the violence in neighbouring Iraq, the English-language Tehran Times daily said.

The paper did not give details of Mottaki's views on the Swiss plan, which United States and European diplomats had said was among topics discussed at a meeting between Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana in Turkey in April.

Diplomats said Switzerland had proposed a staged plan leading to a simultaneous suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment work and of United Nations sanctions, which would enable talks between Iran and six world powers to begin.

But they said Larijani made it clear to Solana Iran had no intention of fully suspending its work to refine uranium, which can be used to fuel nuclear power plants or make nuclear weapons. Iran says it only wants to generate electricity.

Talks to reconvene

"Mottaki welcomed the Swiss proposal for the continuation of talks on Iran's peaceful nuclear programme," Tehran Times said.

The story did not include any direct quotes. Iranian officials were not immediately available for comment.

The Solana-Larijani talks are expected to reconvene later in May but the place and time had yet to be announced.

One diplomat told Reuters this week that Iran had said it was considering the Swiss offer but would not accept a "full suspension before, during or after talks".

Two sets of UN sanctions were imposed on Iran since December and major powers this week warned a third, tougher resolution might be needed unless Tehran halted its most sensitive nuclear activities.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly ruled out any retreat on the nuclear programme, including the idea of a "double suspension", under which Tehran would halt uranium enrichment in return for a lifting of sanctions.

- Reuters