Published January 13, 2015
Iran's top nuclear negotiator and EU's foreign policy chief are to meet on the last day of November for another round of talks on nuclear issues between the Islamic country and the European Union, the state IRNA news agency reported Wednesday.
Iran's Saeed Jalili and the bloc's Javier Solana will meet Nov. 30 in London, IRNA said.
The report cited Javad Vaeedi, a senior nuclear negotiator, as saying that the date for the meeting has been finalized during his telephone conversation with Robert Cooper, Solana's deputy, late Wednesday.
In London, a Foreign Office spokesman said Britain knew that Solana was "in discussions with the Iranians about a meeting," but that there were no details beyond that.
"We know of no such meeting on that date or here," said the spokesman, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
There was no immediate comment from Brussels.
Earlier Wednesday, Solana told reporters he was still open to new talks on Iranian nuclear plans before the end of month and before the U.N.'s Security Council meets to deliberate on possible new sanctions against Tehran.
On Tuesday, Iran's deputy nuclear negotiator canceled a meeting with EU officials to set up new talks between Solana and Jalili.
Solana said he had little or no time to meet with Jalili next week, as he will attend a Middle East peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, and will also visit the Balkans.
He said he was in permanent contact with the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany over Iran's nuclear enrichment plans and he is expected to submit a report to the six by the end of the month over whether there progress was made in the few rounds of talks he has had with Iranian officials over recent months.
Solana has been tasked by the six powers to persuade Tehran to heed U.N. Security Council demands to suspend uranium enrichment, a technology that can be used to create uranium fuel for power plants but also the fissile material of nuclear warheads.
Iran says it wants to use it only to generate power, while EU nations and the U.S. fear it could be used to develop weapons.
EU officials said Tehran was keen to meet only at the end of the month, in an apparent attempt to delay Solana's report and a possible third round of sanctions against Iran.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday his country would not give any concessions to the West over its nuclear program beyond transparent cooperation with the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency.
Solana's report, together with IAEA findings on Tehran's nuclear activities that were forwarded to the U.N. Security Council last week, will serve as the basis of deliberations on whether to impose new punitive measures.
Solana had been seeking an early meeting with Jalili in part because of pressure from the United States, France and Britain, which are seeking new sanctions.
Russia and China, the two other permanent council members, are reluctant to impose new penalties, saying there is still room for negotiations before such a move.
https://www.foxnews.com/story/iran-nuke-talks-with-eu-set-for-nov-30-in-london