EU: Meeting on Iran nuclear issue likely in Turkey
Chief diplomat Solana says he expects to 'achieve the most' at the October 1 meeting because US will formally participate for first time in nuclear talks
Upcoming talks on Iran's nuclear program will likely be held in Turkey, the EU's chief diplomat Javier Solana said Tuesday.
Solana said he expected to "achieve the most" at the October 1 meeting because the United States will formally participate for the first time in the nuclear talks.
"I think that has to be evaluated positively by the Iranians," Solana told reporters.
Casting aside conditions that former President George W. Bush had set for talking with countries he called part of an "axis of evil," the Obama administration is making a play for progress after years of little movement.
Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany will also participate in the upcoming meeting.
"I think it will very likely be in Turkey," Solana said.
On Monday, Solana said the October 1 meeting could set the stage for progress in resolving the standoff over the Islamic Republic's refusal to freeze uranium enrichment and heed other UN Security Council demands.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said enrichment - which can make both nuclear fuel and fissile warhead material - "would be part of the discussion," despite Iranian warnings it would not even discuss meeting UN Security Council demands that it freeze uranium enrichment.
The talks will be the first since a 2008 session in Geneva foundered over Iran's refusal to discuss enrichment.
