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Iran, EU call for positive atmosphere over nuclear issue

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-04 19:53

TEHRAN - Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Monday called for "positive air" over Tehran's nuclear issue, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Jalili and Solana made the remarks during their telephone conversation on Monday, IRNA reported, quoting the secretariat of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

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"In the telephone conversation between Jalili and Solana this afternoon, both sides stressed that the course of the talks requires positive and constructive air," it said.

"Both sides also agreed that in the following days they will keep their negotiations and contacts," it added.

Their talks 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.

Iran did not give any answer by the Saturday deadline concerning the package.

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.