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Iran's chief nuclear negotiator to talk with Solana

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-04 16:14

TEHRAN  -- Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili will speak to European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Javier Solana over phone on Monday, Iran's English-language satellite channel Press TV reported.

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"Mr. Jalili will talk over the phone with Mr. Solana in the next few hours today," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi was quoted as saying.

The announcement came just two days after an informal deadline for Iran to answer a package of incentives aimed at persuading it to suspend its disputed uranium enrichment activities.

On June 14, Solana handed the offer of incentives to the Iranian authorities on behalf of France, Britain, Russia, China, the United States and Germany during his visit to Tehran in a bid to persuade Iran to halt uranium enrichment.

During the visit, representatives of five of the six countries, except the US, also took part in talks with senior Iranian officials.

On June 19, talks were held in Geneva, Switzerland between Jalili and Solana in the presence of US Undersecretary of State William Burns and senior diplomats from China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany.

In the meeting, Iran gave no clear answer to the package of incentives, though western diplomats said the country was asked to make a response within two weeks.

Iran has also presented its own package of proposals, which is aimed to help resolve regional and international problems, including Iran's nuclear issue.

In early July, a letter signed by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki concerning the package of incentives proposed by six major countries was delivered to Solana by Tehran's ambassador to Brussels.