Tehran ready to resume nuclear talks with Europe

No pre-conditions. But the European countries are asking Iran to stop operations in Isfahan station once again.

Teheran (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Teheran is ready for the unconditional resumption of nuclear talks with European countries France, Germany and the UK. This was announced today by the Foreign Affairs Ministry in a statement.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes favourably and judges positively the resumption of negotiations with the three great European countries to emerge from the impasse and to assure the right of Iran to equip itself with pacific nuclear technology". Beyond the terminology used, Iran makes an express reference to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and declares it is "ready to conduct negotiations without preconditions with all the countries of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) especially the three European states". The European states had called on Tehran to stop operations at the Isfahan station once again; according to them and to the United States, the station serves for the enrichment of uranium, used to produce atomic weapons. The station, despite the misgivings of the IAEA, started to function again in August. The reason given by Iran was the failure of the European Union to communicate a series of incentives for Iran regarding the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Tehran's move announced today follows pressures exerted by Iranian and European heads for a resumption of talks before the next meeting of the IAEA executive at the end of November, which is set to decide whether or not to submit the Iran dossier to the United Nations Security Council.

• IRAN
• EU
• IAEA
• NUCLEAR
• NON
• PROLIFERATION
• TREATY
• ISFAHAN
• STATION
• ATOMIC
• WEAPONS