Iran to resume nuclear talks with new negotiator

TEHRAN - Iran is waiting for President Hassan Rouhani to appoint chief nuclear negotiator as the first step for the resumption of talks with the world powers, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday.

After the assignation of the nuclear negotiator and its negotiating team, the next step would be specifying the time to resume the talks, said Abbas Araqchi in his weekly press briefing.

Asked about the possibility of Iran's Foreign Ministry to represent the Islamic republic in the nuclear talks, Araqchi said that "If the Foreign Ministry is tasked with (leading the nuclear) talks, I am sure that the ministry has the required capacity and will do the job well."

Some media reports said here recently that under new administration, it is likely that Iran's Foreign Ministry will take over the responsibility from the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) of the country to lead the nuclear talks with the world powers.

Mohammad-Javad Zarif, who was endorsed as Iran's new foreign minister last week, was a member of Iran's nuclear negotiating team, led by Rouhani, from 2003 to 2005.

On Tuesday, the Iranian spokesman reiterated his country's recent position that "Iran is after purposeful talks with the results followed."

"We are not interested in talks for talks sake," said Araqchi, adding that Iran wants "purposeful" negotiations "within specified timetable."

Zarif had said earlier that his country was ready for " purposeful" nuclear talks within specified timetable.

In a telephone conversation with the EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton on Saturday, Zarif stressed a "political determination" and "serious will" for resolving Iran's nuclear issue with Iran's nuclear rights recognized.

Both Iran's new government and the world powers have shown interest for resuming nuclear talks after the last round of negotiations, which were held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in April without yielding much practical results.