Iran has agreed to meet representatives of global powers at the beginning of October to discuss its latest package of proposals, the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) has reported.
“EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana spoke on Monday by telephone with Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili,” and “both sides agreed the talks to be held on Oct. 1” between representatives of six major powers and Iran, the report said.
A decision on the venue of the talks has not been taken yet. There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity lately on the Iranian nuclear programme, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly session scheduled later this month as well as the meeting of G-20 countries in Pittsburg. On Wednesday Iran released new proposals for holding negotiations with the five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany.
Distancing itself from talks focusing on its nuclear programme, Tehran has proposed a “comprehensive” dialogue on a wide canvass of issues that would lead to full normalisation of relations. The six countries on Friday, agreed to a meeting with the Iranians that U.S. officials said were aimed at testing Iran’s inclination to discuss its nuclear programme, which is widely perceived in the West as having a military dimension.
On Sunday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Tehran is ready to discuss global issues with world powers, but asserted that its nuclear programme was non-negotiable.
