Iran-EU nuclear talks to start in mid-January

1/2/2005 1:00:00 PM GMT

Iran and the European Union will start the third round of their “intensive and comprehensive” nuclear talks by mid-January, Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hamid Reza Asefi, said on Sunday.

Asefi noted that a technical committee from Europe will arrive in Tehran within the next few days to discuss the details of a light-water power reactor which the European Union promised to build in Iran.

But he said that Tehran is not fully pleased with the outcomes of the negotiations so far.

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that Asefi’s statement could strengthen the criticism of some Iranians that such talks have only made Tehran compromise one right after the other.

"It is not to say we are fully satisfied with our negotiations with the Europeans. We have not come to our expectations, but the negotiations will continue until we reach a favorable conclusion," Asefi said during his weekly news briefing.

"The intensive and broad negotiations will start in the upcoming days...but we will never relinquish any right," Asefi said, stressing Iran’s demand for building “two-way confidence”.

In November, Iran agreed to voluntarily freeze all activities related to uranium enrichment, in exchange for trade, technology, nuclear and security benefits promised by the European Union.

Iran’s senior national security official and top nuclear negotiator, Hassan Rohani, confirmed that the talks will resume by mid-January and said that they will discuss nuclear, economic, technological, political and security issues with the EU officials.

He noted that Iran gained membership in the Expert Group on Multilateral Approaches to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle and will participate in the group’s next meeting on January 10.

The senior nuclear negotiator also said that “Since the Paris accord we can conclude the Europeans have tried to meet their commitments."

He added that Europe removed Tehran’s nuclear file from the agenda of the UN Security Council as well as helping Iran to join the IAEA’s nuclear fuel cycle group.

But Rowhani expressed his disappointment that one promised incentive; Iran's membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO), failed to materialize despite EU efforts.

"As part of their commitments, the Europeans were supposed to support Iran's membership of the WTO, which they did. But we feel the Europeans did not support Iran enough. They have to get Iran become a member," he said.