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New Iran-EU nuclear talks planned | |
(about 6 hours later) | |
Iranian and international negotiators are to hold new talks in two weeks to continue efforts to break the deadlock over Iran's disputed nuclear programme. | |
The move came as Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana described talks in Ankara as "constructive". | |
It was 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. |
'Constructive' talks | |
After more than five hours locked in discussion, Javier Solana called the process so far constructive. | |
Ali Larijani said they had had some good exchanges and described the talks as pleasant. The last hour or so was spent talking one to one over an Indian meal. | |
The aim of the talks is to agree conditions for formal negotiations | |
The men's aim is to find a formula to move to formal negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme. | |
Iran refuses to suspend its uranium enrichment activities. The international community says it is a vital condition ahead of any direct talks. | |
Iran's chief negotiator called that demand irrational but he did say there are ideas on the table. | |
Javier Solana confirmed that the discussion would continue on Thursday, and said he hoped in coming weeks too. But there was no detail from either side to indicate from where a possible compromise might come. | |
Diplomats have been hinting that it might lie in allowing Tehran a partial or temporary freeze on uranium enrichment rather than full suspension. | |
Javier Solana's spokeswoman though stressed that his position on that remains unchanged. | |
If these talks fail to break the deadlock, Iran faces a further UN deadline to suspend its nuclear activities in less than a month or face a third round of sanctions. | |
Tehran has defied all punishment so far, arguing that its nuclear programme is intended to produce power for electricity, not create the raw material for nuclear bombs. |