Iran ready to restart talks with EU trio 'without preconditions'

Middle East News

Iran ready to restart talks with EU trio 'without preconditions'

Kuala Lumpur, May 30 (DPA) Iran Tuesday said it was willing to resume talks 'without preconditions' with European Union (EU) trio Germany, France and Britain on its nuclear programme, at the same time blaming the US for 'bad behaviour' resulting in stalled talks.

'Iran is ready to respond positively in resuming negotiations on its nuclear enrichment programme without any preconditions,' said Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.

'I would like to announce our readiness to restart negotiation immediately with the EU three,' he said.

Mottaki made the announcement at the end of a two-day meeting of foreign ministers of non-aligned nations in Malaysia's administrative capital of Putrajaya.

He later said ambassadors from all three nations had been informed of Iran's willingness to find a peaceful resolution to the nuclear issue.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently rejected a EU offer for incentives, including a light-water nuclear reactor, in return for giving up uranium-enrichment program.

Last week, high-ranking representatives from the EU trio of Germany, France and Britain presented their incentive proposals to Russia, China and the US at a meeting in London.

The talks at the closed-door meeting was aimed at finding a Western incentive in return for Iran's agreement to suspend its uranium enrichment programme, which it claims to be for peaceful purposes.

The draft package was expected to offer Iran help with building light water reactors that do not produce plutonium waste, a nuclear fuel bank that would guarantee Iran access to reactor fuel, as well as a series of security guarantees.

When asked if Iran would be willing to hold similar open talks with the US, Mottaki said Tuesday that Iran had faced 'bad behaviour' from Washington and was therefore not willing to talk.

'Because of this bad temperament of the Americans, for the time being, we have suspended direct talks,' he told reporters. 'After changing their behaviour, we may consider talks.'

Washington is currently pushing Europe and Japan to go along with unilateral financial sanctions against Iran if ongoing diplomatic efforts fail to convince the Islamic Republic to stop enriching uranium.

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Iran ready to restart talks with EU trio 'without preconditions'