Italian Premier Romano Prodi would meet with Iran's top nuclear negotiator
Ali Larijani over Iran's nuclear program on Friday, Prodi's spokesman Silvio
Sircana said on Thursday.
Besides the nuclear issue, the two would probably also discuss the crisis in
Lebanon and Iran's role in the region, said Sircana.
The talks between EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Larijani,
scheduled for Wednesday, have been postponed to Saturday, Solana said in Danish
capital Copenhagen..
Iran, which has insisted on its right to a peaceful nuclear energy
development program, defied an August 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.
Larijani was in Spain on Thursday for talks with Prime Minister Jose Luis
Rodriguez Zapatero.
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.
Also on Thursday, senior negotiators of Britain, China, France, Germany,
Russia and the United States are to meet in Berlin regarding the Iran nuclear
crisis.