- Title: AUSTRIA: Iran and European Union say progress made in nuclear talks
- Date: 11th September 2006
- Summary: (BN10) VIENNA, AUSTRIA (SEPTEMBER 10, 2006) (REUTERS) EUROPEAN UNION (E.U.) FLAG FLYING EXTERIOR OF BUILDING WHERE MEETING TOOK PLACE VARIOUS OF POLICE GUARDS POLICE OFFICER ON MOTORCYCLE E.U. FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JAVIER SOLANA AND IRANIAN NEGOTIATOR ALI LARIJANI WALKING OUT OF GATES (SOUNDBITE) (English) E.U. FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JAVIER SOLANA, SAYING: "Let me very briefly tell you that I have had more than seven hours of work with Dr Larijani. I want to tell you that the meeting the hours of work have been productive. We have clarified some of the misunderstandings that existed before, that we have made progress. That we want to continue with that line and for that purpose that we are going to meet again next week. And I want to say, as I said, the meeting has been worth it. It has been a day and a half which we have been together and it has been worth it. (SOUNDBITE)(Farsi) (Followed by voice of English translator) IRANIAN NEGOTIATOR ALI LARIJANI, SAYING: "In the name of God the compassionate, the merciful my understandings of the meeting are very similar of Dr Solana. I would like to thank Mr Solana for having had two long, relatively long meetings and we have been able to discuss some aspects of the issues discussed and introduced in the package proposed by the other side and also the response we had to it. We have made constructive progress I should say. And we have reached common points of view on a number of issues that we have. And as it was mentioned by Mr Solana many of the misunderstandings were removed. I have a positive understanding of these two meetings that we have had." POLICE OFFICER ON MOTORCYCLE SOLANA AND LARIJANI SHAKING HANDS
- Embargoed: 26th September 2006 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Austria
- Country: Austria
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA5N9BXUIBTA4UH63V14WSX6W8L
- Story Text: Iran's nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and the European Union (E.U.) foreign policy chief finished two days of talks on Sunday (September 10) saying they had made positive progress in the search for a compromise to avoid possible U.N. sanctions over Tehran's atomic programme.
The E.U. foreign policy chief Javier Solana was trying to clarify whether Iran might shift closer to satisfying a demand to stop enriching uranium to qualify for trade benefits offered by world powers and pre-empt sanctions by the U.N. Security Council.
Solana said he was very pleased with the outcome of the talks.
"I want to tell you that the meeting the hours of work have been productive. We have clarified some of the misunderstandings that existed before, that we have made progress." Solana told reporters after the talks concluded.
Solana said the progress made was very worthwhile and that he and Larijani will meet again next week to continue the talks.
The United States is pushing to begin moves next week for sanctions against Iran, its arch Middle East foe, over Tehran's refusal to halt its nuclear fuel drive before any negotiations to put the wide-ranging incentives offer into effect.
Washington's E.U. allies share its suspicions that Iran's nuclear work is a veiled bid to assemble atom bombs rather than a quest for an alternative electricity source as Tehran insists.
Larijani agreed with Solana that positive progress had been made during the talks.
"We have been able to discuss some aspects of the issues discussed and introduced in the package proposed by the other side and also the response we had to it. We have made constructive progress I should say." Larijani told reporters.
He also agreed with Solana's appraisal that some misunderstandings of both parties had been clarified during the talks.
But, fearing the economic repercussions of isolating the world's No. 4 oil supplier, many in the E.U. prefer a face-saving compromise that might lie in getting Tehran to curb enrichment after the start of a process to implement the benefits package.
In Tehran, the Foreign Ministry repeated on Sunday that Iran would accept no preconditions for negotiations and again dismissed the idea that it would agree to shelve enrichment. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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