Iran's nuclear chief could meet EU's Ashton in Turkey

(TEHRAN) - Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili could hold talks with EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton in Turkey, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.

"Ms Ashton had requested a meeting several times. Iran agreed to this but the date has not been set yet. About the venue, as Turkey suggested that it be held there, we do not see a problem with that," Ramin Mehmanparast said.

He told reporters that Jalili, who is secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, would take part in the talks.

Ashton said in Brussels on Monday that she was prepared to hold talk with Iranian leaders, but only about Iran's controversial nuclear programme.

"We should wait and see what issues she wants to discuss," Mehmanparast said, insisting that Iran's nuclear programme was a matter for discussion with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"If she wants to bring up international issues, we will examine them and the nuclear fuel swap has its own formula," the spokesman said.

Ashton asked Ankara to contact Iranian authorities and try to organise talks on behalf of the six world powers involved in efforts to persuade Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment, a spokesman in Brussels said.

Iran is under three sets of UN sanctions over its refusal to suspend the sensitive nuclear enrichment and risks further sanctions over its continued defiance.

The West has long accused the Islamic republic of seeking to develop nuclear weapons under the guise of its civilian nuclear energy programme, charges Tehran denies.

Iran has also dragged its feet on a UN-brokered deal presented in October that would see most of its low enriched uranium stockpile shipped out of the country to be further enriched into nuclear fuel for a Tehran research reactor.