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Iran and EU seek to break impasse Iranians hope for compromise deal
(about 9 hours later)
Iran's top nuclear negotiator and the EU's foreign policy chief are to meet in Turkey in an attempt to break the deadlock over Iran's nuclear programme. Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, says there is a new idea on the table at his meeting with the EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana.
It is hoped the meeting between Ali Larijani and Javier Solana will produce an agreement on a new round of formal talks aimed at ending the crisis. The two are holding talks in Ankara aimed at breaking the deadlock over Iran's nuclear programme and moving towards formal negotiations.
It is their first meeting since the UN imposed sanctions on Iran in March for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment.It is their first meeting since the UN imposed sanctions on Iran in March for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment.
Iran denies US and EU accusations that it is trying to build nuclear weapons.Iran denies US and EU accusations that it is trying to build nuclear weapons.
Tehran insists its enrichment programme is meant to produce civilian nuclear power.Tehran insists its enrichment programme is meant to produce civilian nuclear power.
The UN sanctions involve a partial arms embargo and a travel ban against people and organisations involved in Iran's nuclear programme. 'Constructive attitude'
On Monday, the EU agreed a total arms embargo, and added further people to the travel ban list - they are banned from the EU and their assets are frozen. There is much speculation in the Turkish capital that Javier Solana has brought a compromise proposal to these talks - a formula that might allow the two sides to progress to formal negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme.
Flexible approach When he arrived in Ankara, Ali Larijani seemed to confirm that.
On Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeated his view that the sanctions were illegal and vowed not to halt Iran's nuclear programme, which he says is a legitimate right. He called the West's insistence that Iran must abandon all uranium enrichment as a precondition for any direct talks "irrational", and said he had come to Ankara because he had heard a new idea would be proposed.
After the sanctions were announced in March, Tehran said it would reduce co-operation with UN nuclear inspectors and "adjust" its ties with countries behind the embargo, without specifying what that entailed. Javier Solana, who represents the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany at these talks, did not confirm that.
Diplomats now say the US, EU, Russia and China may modify their demands for Tehran to completely dismantle facilities which could produce fissile material for nuclear warheads, news agencies reported on Tuesday. Instead, he said he came with a constructive attitude and had always placed sensible proposals on the table.
They hoped the more flexible approach could help restart serious talks. Diplomats suggest, though, that might mean allowing Iran only partial or temporary suspension of its uranium enrichment programme in order to jump start the talks.
Iran has installed 1,312 centrifuges needed to enrich uranium gas at its Natanz plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency says. If the two sides fail to agree, Iran faces a fresh deadline from the UN at the end of next month to suspend its disputed nuclear activities.
Iranian officials say they need 50,000 centrifuges to generate enough enriched uranium for power generation. The penalty could be another round of sanctions from the Security Council.