Brussels, 18/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - A few hours after the start of the talks on the Iranian nuclear programme between Tehran and the 5+1 Group (United States, Russia, China, France, Germany and United Kingdom), a member of the Iranian negotiating team said the atmosphere was not hopeful. He acknowledged that the negotiations, initially scheduled to run until Tuesday, might finish as early as Monday evening. Agreeing a format for the negotiations is the main problem, the Iranian official said, noting that this was just a preliminary view.
“These negotiations are a major test to see whether or not the West is against the progress of Iran”, Said Jalili, Iranian chief negotiator said on television before the start of the talks.
Michael Mann, spokesman for EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, said that the large powers were maintaining their demands on Iran: putting an end of enrichment of uranium to 20% and exchanging it store of 20% enriched uranium for the nuclear fuel which it needs. The priority is getting the Iranians to discuss the issue of the 20% enrichment which takes it closer to the level of enrichment needed to make an atomic bomb (90%), Mann is reported by AFP as telling journalists. The 5+1, led by Ashton, is proposing a easing of international sanctions (six UN Security Council resolutions, four of which contain economic sanctions) and cooperation in a number of civil nuclear areas.
The two previous rounds of talks (in Istanbul in April and Baghdad in May) ended with clear differences between the parties, particularly on the 20%. A further failure could have serious consequences as the United States and Israel have begun speaking again about possible use of the military option to block Iran's nuclear programme.
The talks in Moscow come just before the EU oil embargo on Iran comes into force on 1 July and the United States strengthens its sanctions. Iran, however, has no intention of giving up its right to enrich uranium, said a member of the Iranian delegation. Nevertheless, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated that Iran would stop enriching uranium to 20% if it received the guarantee that the major powers would provide it with the nuclear fuel it needs. According to diplomatic sources quoted by the Russian press, the 5+1 will put a compromise to Tehran, under which it would reduce the level of enrichment of uranium at its Natanz plant to 3.5% or 5% rather than 20% as at present. Iran would also have to suspend its enrichment activities in its underground plant at Fordo, or close the plant altogether. (OL/transl.rt)