Iran announces last minute talks with EU

MOSCOW - Iran yesterday announced last-minute talks with the European Union to head off being reported to the United Nations over its nuclear programme, but showed no sign of agreeing to Western pressure to end uranium enrichment.

Speaking in Moscow after talks with Russian officials on a possible compromise deal, Iran's nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said Tehran would meet the European Union troika of Britain, Germany and France soon.

When asked if the meeting with the so-called EU3 would be before March 6 he said: "Yes, by March 6."

That is the date set for a key session of the International Atomic Energy Agency that could decide whether to report Iran to the UN Security Council over its nuclear programme.

The West, led by the United States, suspects that the Islamic Republic is covertly seeking to build an atomic weapon. Iran denies this saying it is pursuing nuclear programmes purely for civilian use.

Larijani added: "Our talks with the EU3 are being held for us to say we are in favour of holding constructive negotiations."

But he failed to make any mention of the crucial point -- whether Tehran would bow to Western calls for it to stop uranium enrichment at home, a crucial step which can be used to build nuclear weapons.

But on Wednesday night, after a day of talks with Russian officials, he showed no signs of backing down on what he said was Tehran's "sovereign right" to pursue enrichment on its own territory.

Russia, as a way out of the impasse, has offered a joint venture under which it would carry out enrichment for Iran on Russian soil.

Larijani said no date had been set for future talks on the Russian proposal.

He seized the opportunity to take a swipe at Washington, saying that US pressure to report Iran to the UN Security Council was hurting prospects of reaching agreement with Russia.

"I say that the Americans are saying one thing while putting a stick in the wheel of the Russian proposal."

- REUTERS