Senior Iranian says EU talks 'step in right direction'

A senior Iranian envoy today called talks between his country and the European Union a “step in the right direction” that had made progress in resolving the stand-off over Tehran’s refusal to freeze uranium enrichment.

Ali Ashgar Soltanieh spoke as senior EU and Iranian representatives prepared for a new round of talks later in the day in Paris on enrichment and other nuclear differences between Tehran and the international community.

Only “the continuation of dialogue and negotiations free from any kind of threat, pressure or any preconditions can pave the way” to a negotiated solution of the impasse, Soltanieh told a closed meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation board.

Originally EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani were supposed to get together, but today’s meeting will involve the diplomats’ aides instead.