Ban Sees Iran-EU Talks Encouraging

Source: Alalam.ir, 07-07-2008

SAPPORO, Japan--UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says he was encouraged by recent dialogue between Iran and the European Union over Tehran's nuclear program.

In an interview with the AFP on Monday, Ban said that "recently there has been some encouraging dialogue going on between the European Union and the Iranian government".

Speaking aboard his plane headed to a Group of Eight summit in Japan, Ban said he hopes the Iran-EU dialogue will continue and will bring some good resolution of the issue.

The European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana received a reply from Iran on Friday concerning the proposed package the west had earlier offered Tehran.

Iranian officials said the Islamic Republic has given a constructive and creative response to the so-called 5+1 group of countries' proposals in a bid to end the standoff.

Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said that the Islamic Republic has prepared and presented a response to the letter of the six countries with a constructive and creative view and a focus on common ground.

Jalili also said both sides had agreed that talks would be held again by the end of the current Iranian month of Tir, which ends in two weeks.

Iran has also put forward its own more all-embracing offer aimed at solving world problems, including the nuclear issue, and has said there is common ground between the two packages.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki had also spoken of a "new process."

Mottaki said on Wednesday that a "new trend" has started in nuclear talks with permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.

"Iran and the 5+1 group's packages have a good work potential,'' Mottaki said.

The parties may "pinpoint common points in the two packages and start talks'' on this basis, he added.