Six world powers hope to meet Iran for atom talks in February

   
World powers have asked Iran to hold a new round of talks over Tehran's nuclear work in February, a spokesman for the EU's foreign policy representative said on Monday.       

The EU's Catherine Ashton, who oversees diplomatic contacts with Iran on its nuclear program on behalf of the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany, said last week the Iranian authorities were stalling on efforts to resume diplomacy over the program.                             

Her attempts to schedule new talks have failed since December, and a new date has been proposed.                             

"We have offered a date in February," spokesman Michael Mann told a regular news briefing in Brussels.              

The six powers are concerned Iran is seeking to reach the capability to build nuclear weapons, but Tehran denies that.           

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that global powers and Iran should "stop behaving like little children" and agree a date and place for new talks on Tehran's nuclear program.                                 

European officials have accused Tehran of stalling on arranging a meeting with the six nations, including Russia, that are trying to prevent Iran developing atomic weapons. Tehran says its nuclear program is entirely for peaceful purposes.                                     

"Some of our partners in the six powers and the Iranian side cannot come to an agreement about where to meet," Lavrov told a news conference after talks with Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders.              

"We are ready to meet at any location as soon as possible," Lavrov said. "We believe the essence of our talks is far more important (than the site), and we hope that common sense will prevail and we will stop behaving like little children."                    

Three rounds of talks in the first half of last year between Iran and the six powers - Russia, the United States, China, Britain, France and Germany - produced no breakthrough; increasing speculation Israel could attack Iranian nuclear installations.                   


REUTERS