EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says world powers are once again interested in engaging Iran in nuclear talks.
Reuters reports that Ashton has made this clear to Iran through a letter to Saeed Jalili, Iran’s top negotiator, but Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Iran has not yet received the letter.
“When moving to a continuation of our talks, it is crucial to look for concrete results,” Ashton is quoted as writing in the letter to Jalili.
Ashton states that the talks should be a continuation of last year’s meeting in Istanbul, which she had earlier described as “disappointing.”
She adds that the renewed talks should be aimed at creating international trust in Iran’s nuclear program.
While world powers repeatedly express concern over the possible military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear program, Iran has repeatedly insisted that its nuclear activities are completely peaceful.
An earlier invitation from Iran to resume talks and collaborate with the International Atomic Energy Agency was rejected by Western countries, which accused Iran of trying to buy time.
In the meantime, Russia proposed a “step by step” plan to resolve the nuclear disputes with Iran. Russia proposed that Iran should be rewarded with the easing of sanctions at every stage that it provides satisfactory answers regarding its nuclear program.
