Reuters: Iranian chief atomic negotiator Ali Larijani on Thursday discussed ways to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme with the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, a senior Iranian diplomat said. TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iranian chief atomic negotiator Ali Larijani on Thursday discussed ways to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme with the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, a senior Iranian diplomat said.
The talks between Larijani and Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), were held in Vienna, the diplomat close to the talks told Reuters.
“In this meeting, they insisted on finding a political and diplomatic solution to prevent any escalation and they insisted on the continuation of the (IAEA’s) key role regarding Iran’s nuclear issue,” the diplomat said.
Iran has been hauled before the U.N. Security Council for failing to convince the world that its nuclear programme is peaceful, as Tehran insists, and does not have a military aim, as the West contends.
With U.S backing, three European Union states – Britain, France and Germany – are drawing up a package to offer Iran, which is expected to include a European light-water reactor and some form of security assurances in return for a halt to uranium enrichment.
Iran said in April it had successfully enriched uranium for the first time, a process that has both peaceful and military uses. Iran says it only wants to make fuel for nuclear power stations. The West says Iran wants to make atomic bombs.
