US diplomat to attend Iran talks

16/07/2008| IslamWeb

An envoy from the US will attend weekend talks with Iran and other major powers over Tehran's nuclear programme.

The announcement on Tuesday that William Burns, the US under-secretary of state, is to attend a meeting in Geneva with Saeed Jalili, Iranian nuclear negotiator, is a switch in position for the US.

Burns will join Javier Solana, the EU foreign policy chief, and envoys from China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany, at the meeting, due on Saturday.

They will discuss Iran's response to an offer made by world powers last month to give up nuclear work that the West believes is aimed at building an atomic bomb and Tehran says is for peaceful power-generation purposes.

Washington said that Burns would not act as a negotiator and not meet Jalili separately.

He is to put forward the White House position that Iran must give up enrichment for any talks to start.

The US had said previously it would not be involved in any pre-negotiations with Tehran unless it gave up uranium enrichment.

"Bill Burns will reiterate our terms for negotiation remain the same," an official, who asked not to be named, said.

The US presence at the meeting did not indicate a restoration of full diplomatic ties, the official said.

Diplomatic relations

US officials said Washington wanted to take advantage of what appeared to be "debate" within the Iranian government over the nuclear programme.

In addition, Washington believed that three rounds of UN sanctions against Iran, as well as bilateral sanctions by the US and EU nations, were starting to take effect and that it was the time to take advantage of that.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, said on Monday that Jalili and Solana were to discuss a timetable for future negotiations to break the deadlock.

"It is possible that, in the near future, talks in different fields will take place with the United States," he said.

In June, Solana presented Tehran with a package of economic and other incentives proposed by world powers.

Iran has repeatedly refused to suspend its uranium enrichment process - as demanded by the six powers - before formal negotiations can begin on the offer.

Iran, the world's fourth largest oil producer, denies it wants to build nuclear weapons, saying its programme is designed to make electricity to increase its output of oil and natural gas.

There has been opposition within the Bush administration over whether to deal directly with Iran. George Bush, the US president, has made clear all options remain on the table, including military action.

Last week, tensions heightened when Iran test-fired missiles in the Gulf.

PHOTO CAPTION

Undersecretary of State William Burns, the US State Department's number three official, will meet with a top Iranian representative at talks on Tehran's nuclear program in Geneva this weekend, a State Department official confirmed. (AFP)

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