Nuclear talks with Iran may start without U.S.-report23 Sep 2006 10:27:20 GMT
Source: Reuters
BERLIN, Sept 23 (Reuters) - France, Britain and Germany would be willing
to begin talks with Iran even if it has not suspended its nuclear enrichment
programme first, but Washington would not take part, a German magazine
reported on Saturday.
So far Iran has refused to suspend its uranium enrichment programme, which
could refine uranium for atom bombs, saying its nuclear fuel ambitions are
limited to fuelling power stations. Western countries suspect Tehran wants
to produce weapons.
Citing unnamed German diplomatic sources, weekly Der Spiegel said the goal
of this new strategy would be to lure Tehran to the negotiating table
to discuss a package of incentives offered by six world powers in June
in exchange for a suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment programme.
The six powers that made the offer to Iran -- the United States, France, Russia,
China, Britain and Germany -- said the package was negotiable but conditioned
any negotiations on a suspension of enrichment, a process of purifying uranium
for use as fuel in nuclear power plants or atomic weapons. In a preview of an
article to appear on Sunday, the magazine said a decision by the "EU3" to begin
preliminary talks with Iran would require a positive outcome of discussions
between European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Iran's chief
nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani.
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