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Solana to meet Iranian nuclear negotiator Saturday
8/9/2006 10:11

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Iran 's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani (C) leaves a hotel in Madrid September 7, 2006. Larijani said on Thursday he would meet European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana in two days. -Xinhua

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Thursday that a meeting with Iran's top nuclear negotiator over Tehran's nuclear program had been set for Saturday, according to reports from the Danish capital Copenhagen.

"I have said it (the meeting) will be in two days," Solana told reporters during a visit to Denmark.

He didn't say where the talks were to take place. "I prefer not to name the place because there are difficult negotiations underway," Solana said.

The meeting between Solana and Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani had been scheduled for Wednesday but Iran on Wednesday abruptly announced that the meeting was postponed.

The European Union is hoping to give diplomacy one last chance to persuade Tehran to halt uranium enrichment in return for a package of incentives.

Iran, which has insisted on its right to a peaceful nuclear energy development program, defied an Aug. 31 deadline set by the UN Security Council to freeze its uranium enrichment.

The United States, which has accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, is now seeking to impose sanctions on Iran for its refusal to comply with the UN Security Council resolution.

Senior negotiators of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States met in Berlin on Thursday in an attempt to figure out how to handle Tehran, with the United States pushing for UN sanctions.

Larijani was in Spain on Thursday for talks with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.



Xinhua News