Iran and EU-3 to hold last minute talks

ISN SECURITY WATCH (Thursday, 2 March: 17.32 CET) – Iran and European nations announced on Thursday that they would enter last minute talks on the Islamic Republic's controversial nuclear program.

Reuters reports that the first indications that a new round of talks was to be held came from Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, who announced that a meeting was to be held in Vienna with EU-3 officials.

The discussions come just days before a crucial board meeting of the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on 6 March.

"Our talks with the EU-3 are being held for us to say we are in favor of holding constructive negotiations," Larijani said.

British officials later confirmed that EU-3 diplomats would hold ministerial-level discussions with Larijani in Vienna on Friday.

A spokesperson for Britain's Foreign Office said: "Iran requested the meeting, we will listen to what Iran has to say but we have no new proposals."

An Iranian delegation, led by Larijani, is in Moscow for talks with Russian officials over a joint venture project for the enrichment of uranium for Iranian nuclear facilities.

Iran refuses to give up on autonomous uranium processing. In the wake of the joint venture announcement last Sunday, Iranian officials confirmed that any export of enrichment activities would be accompanied by a continuation of nuclear fuel processing in the Islamic Republic.

This stance makes it likely that the IAEA board will vote next Monday for the immediate referral of the Iranian nuclear dossier to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.