Turkey, Brazil urge Iran to be flexible on nuclear talks
Turkey and Brazil urged Iran to be flexible and open in dealings with the West over its atomic programme.
ISTANBUL:
Foreign ministers of Turkey and Brazil urged Iran on Sunday to be flexible and open in dealings with the West over its atomic programme as Iran renewed its readiness to resume frozen nuclear talks.
During the talks, Mottaki said Iran was ready to revive talks with the six world powers over its overall nuclear programme and would on Monday hand its response to the UN atomic watchdog on a nuclear fuel swap deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil in May, Davutoglu said.
“Mottaki confirmed that they were ready to hold the talks at the end of Ramadan, possibly around the second week of September,” Davutoglu told reporters after the meeting.
Last week, Mottaki and the EU’s foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, who represents the P5+1, said the talks could resume in September.
“What we told the parties right from the start is for these negotiations to take place at once and for the parties to discuss all issues in the most transparent and open manner,” Davutoglu said in comments before meeting Mottaki.
Brazil’s Amorim called on Iran to adopt a facilitating attitude in the talks over the swap deal.
“We want to preserve Iran’s right for a peaceful nuclear programme, but at the same time give guarantees to the world in general that this programme has no military implications,” he said.
Davutoglu said Mottaki had also requested Brazil and Turkey to take part in the negotiations.
“Brazil and Turkey said such a contribution was possible only if all the parties request it. We are ready to help if there is a demand by all,” he added.
Under the swap deal, Iran agreed to send 1,200 kilogrammes of its low-enriched uranium (LEU) to Turkey to be supplied at a later date with high-enriched uranium by Russia and France.
But it was immediately cold-shouldered by world powers, which backed a fourth round of sanctions against Iran on June 9 over its refusal to halt its sensitive uranium enrichment programme.
Western powers have demanded that Iran suspend uranium enrichment, fearing Tehran would use the material to make a nuclear bomb.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2010.
Foreign ministers of Turkey and Brazil urged Iran on Sunday to be flexible and open in dealings with the West over its atomic programme as Iran renewed its readiness to resume frozen nuclear talks.
During the talks, Mottaki said Iran was ready to revive talks with the six world powers over its overall nuclear programme and would on Monday hand its response to the UN atomic watchdog on a nuclear fuel swap deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil in May, Davutoglu said.
“Mottaki confirmed that they were ready to hold the talks at the end of Ramadan, possibly around the second week of September,” Davutoglu told reporters after the meeting.
Last week, Mottaki and the EU’s foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, who represents the P5+1, said the talks could resume in September.
“What we told the parties right from the start is for these negotiations to take place at once and for the parties to discuss all issues in the most transparent and open manner,” Davutoglu said in comments before meeting Mottaki.
Brazil’s Amorim called on Iran to adopt a facilitating attitude in the talks over the swap deal.
“We want to preserve Iran’s right for a peaceful nuclear programme, but at the same time give guarantees to the world in general that this programme has no military implications,” he said.
Davutoglu said Mottaki had also requested Brazil and Turkey to take part in the negotiations.
“Brazil and Turkey said such a contribution was possible only if all the parties request it. We are ready to help if there is a demand by all,” he added.
Under the swap deal, Iran agreed to send 1,200 kilogrammes of its low-enriched uranium (LEU) to Turkey to be supplied at a later date with high-enriched uranium by Russia and France.
But it was immediately cold-shouldered by world powers, which backed a fourth round of sanctions against Iran on June 9 over its refusal to halt its sensitive uranium enrichment programme.
Western powers have demanded that Iran suspend uranium enrichment, fearing Tehran would use the material to make a nuclear bomb.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2010.