An Iranian top official said on Wednesday that the accurate
place and time of his meeting with European Union foreign policy
chief Javier Solana on the six-nation package would be determined
next week.
Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larjani made the remarks to
reporters after his meeting with visiting former Iraqi prime
minister Ibrahim Jaafari, reported the official IRNA news
agency.
"We are talking on the matter now and will decide the accurate
place and time of Mr. Solana's meeting with me next week," Larjani
was quoted as saying.
However, Solana's spokeswoman Cristina Gallach disclosed earlier
Wednesday that the meeting between the two sides would take place
next week, without revealing the exact time.
A Western diplomat said on Wednesday that Iran obviously wanted
to postpone the meeting to a time after next Thursday's Group Eight
(G8) foreign ministerial meeting in Moscow, which may come up with
a statement setting a deadline for Iran's compliance on the nuclear
dispute.
It was reported that Solana will meet with Larijani on the
"ambiguities" which Iran referred to in the six-nation package
calling on Iran for a suspension of the uranium enrichment.
On June 6, Solana offered Iran the six-nation incentive package
concerning the Iranian nuclear issue, which had been agreed on by
the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus
Germany.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said his country would
formally reply to the six-nation proposals in mid-August.
The United States has accused Iran of secretly developing
nuclear weapons under a civilian front, but Iran has repeatedly
said its nuclear program is aimed to generate power to meet the
country's surging electricity demand.
(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2006)
