Brussels, 15/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - On 15 October, Iran said that it was prepared to re-enter negotiations with the international community on its nuclear programme. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton suggested to Tehran on Thursday that talks resume at the 5+1 group (USA, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom and Germany) in a month's time at the Vienna headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
On Friday, Iran's head of nuclear issues, Saïd Jalili, announced that Iran welcomed Ashton's suggestion, saying that dialogue was the “only option”. Attending the Friends of Democratic Pakistan group's meeting in Brussels (see above), the Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that Catherine Ashton's offer was “good news”.
Also attending the FODP meeting in Brussels, Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini said that the 5+1 talks could be successful, he said he wanted actual results rather than just negotiations for the sake of negotiating.
The most recent discussions at highest level between the “5+1 group” and Tehran took place in Geneva, Switzerland, on 1 October 2009. Due to the deadlock in the talks, the UN Security Council tightened international economic sanctions against Iran on 9 June. The United States and the EU have also tightened their own sanctions, but Iran says the sanctions are not having any impact. (H.B./transl.fl)