European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Wednesday he had held “constructive” talks with Iran’s main nuclear negotiator in his first contacts with the Iranians since he visited Tehran last week.
“I had a phone conversation today [Wednesday] with Mr Ari Larijani. It was a constructive conversation and I hope it will be followed by others,” Solana told reporters in Brussels.
Solana met Larijani on June 6 when he presented a package of proposals drawn up by Britain, France and Germany and backed by the United States, Russia and China in a bid to defuse the crisis over Iran’s nuclear plans.
Iran refuses to give up uranium enrichment, which it says it is doing as part of a civilian nuclear power programme, but its actions have raised fears that the Islamic republic could be trying covertly to build a nuclear weapon.
Solana refused to comment about the content of the conversation, nor would he speculate on when further talks might take place, although an EU diplomat said they could happen before the end of the week.
He is expected to brief EU leaders on the developments at their two-day summit in Brussels starting on Thursday.
The news came after Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, on a visit to Madrid, said the new international offer of incentives to encourage Tehran to stop uranium enrichment was “very positive” and would be closely examined.
“We are giving the package serious consideration. We will inform our colleagues in Europe and other parties of our views on the package,” Mottaki told reporters, and described the offer as a “step forward”. — AFP