AFP: European and Iranian representatives were to meet in Geneva on Thursday, following the postponement of a high-level meeting between EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, a Solana aide announced. BRUSSELS, Sept 14, 2006 (AFP) – European and Iranian representatives were to meet in Geneva on Thursday, following the postponement of a high-level meeting between EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, a Solana aide announced.
The Solana-Larijani meeting, planned for Paris on Thursday, was postponed at short notice with no official reason given.
Solana is negotiating with the Iranians in the name of six major powers — the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany — to encourage Tehran to accept political and economic incentives to suspend uranium enrichment.
The six powers, notably the United States, fear Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons, a charge which Tehran rejects saying it has only a civil nuclear power programme.
After speaking by telephone Wednesday evening, Solana and Larijani “agreed to not meet Thursday,” Solana spokeswoman Cristina Gallach said.
However, their representatives, who had already met on Wednesday, will hold further talks in Geneva.
They have “more work to do”, Gallach said.
Solana and Larijani’s representatives were named as British diplomat Robert Cooper and Javad Vaidi respectively.
The United States is pushing for UN sanctions against Iran for failing to honor an August 31 UN deadline for it to halt the strategic nuclear fuel work but Russia and China want to give more time for talks to get Iran to comply.
Solana and Larijani held talks dubbed “constructive” over the weekend in Vienna, and agreed to meet again this week.
