BRUSSELS: A resumption of long-stalled talks between world powers and Iran over its controversial nuclear program was back on the horizon Friday after Iran welcomed an offer to break the stalemate.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki flew into Brussels for a Pakistan aid meeting saying an offer of dialogue delivered the previous day was "good news."
The European Union’s foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, who represents world powers in the nuclear dialogue with Iran, on Thursday proposed a new round of meetings in Vienna next month.
"From our point of view, October or November is a good time to re-establish negotiations between Iran and the 5+1," said Mottaki, referring to Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany.
"I think that is the way – organizing some specific and fixed day for starting negotiations", he said.
"Usually the diplomats are always optimistic for any positive move forward," he told reporters as he went into the meeting.
Dialogue between Iran and the six powers has been stalled since October 1, 2009, when the two groups met in Geneva.
Faced by deadlock, the United Nations Security Council on June 9 reinforced international economic sanctions, with the United States and EU taking separate measures — all of which Tehran brushed off as having no impact.
Sanctions notably ban investments in oil, gas and petrochemicals while also targeting banks, insurance, financial transactions and shipping.
Japanese oil developer Inpex Corp was the latest to withdraw, Friday pulling out of Iran’s Azadegan oil field project apparently to keep off a list of firms subject to US sanctions.
While Iran is the world’s fourth oil producer it lacks refineries and must import 40 percent of its domestic needs.
The nuclear negotiations aim to address international suspicion that Iran is seeking to develop atomic weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear program, a charge Tehran vehemently denies.
Ashton, the EU’s high representative for foreign policy, suggested the talks take place over three days in the middle of November.
The EU diplomacy chief, who has come under fire from Tehran for being inactive in efforts to resume the talks, made the offer "following recent positive indications from Iran" that its top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, was willing to meet, her office said Thursday.
Mottaki last weekend indicated that Tehran considered late October or early November an appropriate time for a resumption but later this week Tehran blamed Ashton for the deadlock.
"Basically, it seems that the volume of Ms. Ashton’s activity is lower," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters Tuesday.
"If she is really eager for negotiations, she should be more active," he insisted, adding that her predecessor Javier Solana was "more active."
But Ashton this week won US backing in her role as global negotiator.
"With the potential for negotiations beginning because of Iran’s reaching out to Cathy, Cathy will be leading the international community in those negotiations," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a joint interview with Ashton for the BBC.
"Of course it will be me that will, on behalf of this group of countries, lead the negotiations," Ashton said.
