Iranian and EU negotiators completed their first two rounds of
talks on Wednesday on Iran's nuclear program. The consensus was
that the talks had been encouraging and that they would continue on
Thursday and in two weeks.
Top Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani described the
discussions as pleasant, with EU counterpart Javier Solana terming
them "very constructive".
The mood seemed to be buoyant since after their first meeting at
Ankara's Swissotel, the two continued their dialogue at an
impromptu dinner party, a positive sign of the determination to
resolve any disputes.?
Prior to the meetings, Solana had addressed the press, speaking
of his constructive mindset and hope that real progress would be
made in moving towards meaningful negotiations.
Meanwhile, upon his arrival in Ankara, Larijani stated he stood
ready to discuss "fresh ideas" with Solana.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan threw his hat into
the ring, with local media reporting he met with Larijani to
encourage Iran to halt its uranium enrichment and return to
negotiations.
Turkey's pivotal role between the EU and the Middle-East will be
highlighted on Thursday morning when Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul,
widely tipped to be the next president of Turkey, meets with both
Larijani and Solana.
The EU has stepped into the fray with the US and Iran at each
other's throats over Tehran's nuclear program, an initiative the US
fears could lead to nuclear weapons being developed in Iran. Iran
has wholly ignored these concerns and has ramped up uranium
enrichment to an industrial level.
(Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2007)
