Kazakhstan to host Iran nuclear talks
EU says it is waiting for Iran’s confirmation whether it will attend proposed talks on its nuclear works on February 25.
World powers have proposed holding a new round of talks with Iran over Tehran’s nuclear work in the week of February 25 in Kazakhstan, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has said.
However, Ashton’s team, which co-ordinates diplomatic contacts with Iran on its nuclear programme on behalf of the
United States, Russia, China, France, Germany and Britain, is still hoping for confirmation of the date and venue from Iran’s negotiating team, the spokesman said.
Earlier on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi confirmed the proposal for the new round of talks in Kazakhstan on February 25, but stopped short of pledging Iran’s attandance.
“I have good news, I’ve heard yesterday that 5+1 or EU3+3 will be meeting in Kazakhstan 25th of February,” Salehi said during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference.
Iran and the 5+1 world powers – the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia plus Germany – held three rounds of talks last year aimed at resolving the standoff over Iran’s nuclear activities.
Reacting to an offer by US Vice President Joe Biden in Munich on Saturday to hold two-way talks with Iran on its nuclear programme, Salehi said Washington must come to the table with “authentic intention”.
“We have no red line for negotiations, bilateral negotiations when it comes to negotiating over a particular subject,” he said.
“If the subject is the nuclear file, yes we are ready for negotiation but we have to make sure… that the other side this time comes with authentic intention,” he said.