Nuclear talks between the Iranian government and Western powers will resume in Istanbul on Jan 21, Tehran confirms, just one week after it extended invitations to several countries to inspect its nuclear facilities. EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton is expected to arrive in Turkey on Thursday to prepare for the talks, sources say
 Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast. AFP photo |
Iran confirmed on Tuesday that Tehran and the six world powers have agreed to hold another round of nuclear talks on Jan. 21 and 22 in Istanbul.
The talks are aimed at resolving a dispute over Iran's nuclear program, which world powers fear is masking a weapons drive but which Tehran insists is entirely for peaceful purposes.
"January 21 and 22 ... the first and second of [the Persian month of] Bahman ... has been agreed by the two parties," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu had confirmed the two dates on Saturday.
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who represents the six world powers — Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany — in the talks, had suggested Jan. 20 for the resumption of negotiations.
Ashton will visit Turkey on Thursday for preparations ahead of the talks, European sources in Turkey said.
The previous round of talks took place in Geneva on Dec. 6 and 7, ending a 14-month hiatus in negotiations focused on Iran's uranium enrichment program.
In May, Turkey and Brazil brokered a fuel-swap deal with Tehran that would have seen Iran ship much of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for nuclear fuel rods needed for a medical research reactor. Western nations rejected the deal and backed a fourth round of U.N. sanctions against Iran on June 9.
In Russia's first official comments on the invitation, which was forwarded Jan. 4 to Russia, China, Egypt, Cuba and rotating EU president Hungary, a senior foreign ministry official called the offer a positive step.
"We received this initiative with interest," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying by Interfax.
The Iranian move was immediately dismissed as "antics" by the United States, which along with Britain, France and Germany, was not invited.
The European Union responded by noting that it was up to the International Atomic Energy Agency to carry out such visits.
The talks are aimed at resolving a dispute over Iran's nuclear program, which world powers fear is masking a weapons drive but which Tehran insists is entirely for peaceful purposes.
"January 21 and 22 ... the first and second of [the Persian month of] Bahman ... has been agreed by the two parties," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu had confirmed the two dates on Saturday.
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who represents the six world powers — Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany — in the talks, had suggested Jan. 20 for the resumption of negotiations.
Ashton will visit Turkey on Thursday for preparations ahead of the talks, European sources in Turkey said.
The previous round of talks took place in Geneva on Dec. 6 and 7, ending a 14-month hiatus in negotiations focused on Iran's uranium enrichment program.
In May, Turkey and Brazil brokered a fuel-swap deal with Tehran that would have seen Iran ship much of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for nuclear fuel rods needed for a medical research reactor. Western nations rejected the deal and backed a fourth round of U.N. sanctions against Iran on June 9.
Russia 'interested'
Russia on Tuesday said it was interested in Iran's invitation to inspect its nuclear facilities, saying the offer represented a step toward dialogue on the nuclear dispute.In Russia's first official comments on the invitation, which was forwarded Jan. 4 to Russia, China, Egypt, Cuba and rotating EU president Hungary, a senior foreign ministry official called the offer a positive step.
"We received this initiative with interest," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying by Interfax.
The Iranian move was immediately dismissed as "antics" by the United States, which along with Britain, France and Germany, was not invited.
The European Union responded by noting that it was up to the International Atomic Energy Agency to carry out such visits.
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