EU, Iran officials to meet soon

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Tuesday that she would be reaching out to Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili "in the near future.", Mehr reported.

She also said that her aide Helga Schmid had a contact over the weekend with Ali Baqeri, the assistant to Jalili.

Speaking to reporters in Sarajevo, Ashton said, "We continue to try and find ways to move forward on our negotiations."

Ashton represents the major powers (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) in nuclear talks with Iran.

The last round of high-level talks between Iran and the 5+1 group was held in Moscow on June 18 and 19. Since then representatives of Iran and the European Union have been in contact to pave the way for a new round of high-level talks.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on Tuesday that if the 5+1 group recognizes Iran's right to nuclear enrichment the talks will succeed.

As a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran has legal right to produce nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes.


/Trend/