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Iraq Offers to Host Iran Nuclear Talks: TV
2012-04-03 23:50:33
Iran's state IRIB TV said Tuesday that Iraq has offered to host the upcoming nuclear talks between Iran and the five permanent members of UN Security Council (the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China) plus Germany, known as G5+1.
Talking to IRIB on condition of anonymity, an informed Iraqi source said that Baghdad has offered to host the next round of nuclear talks between Iran and the G5+1, said a report posted on IRIB TV's website.
The ambassadors of the United States, Britain, France and Germany are informed of the plan and have welcomed Iraq's offer, the source was quoted as saying.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Saturday in Saudi Arabia that six world powers and Iran had agreed on meeting in Turkey's Istanbul on April 13 to resume their stalled talks over Tehran's controversial nuclear program.
On Monday, Mohsen Rezaei, the former rival of Iran's incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009 presidential elections, called on Tehran's nuclear and foreign policy officials to change the venue of the upcoming talks with the world powers from Turkey' s Istanbul to another regional capital like Baghdad, Damascus or Beirut, the local semi-official Fars news agency reported.
"Given the fact that our friends in Turkey have failed to fulfill some of our agreements, the talks between Iran and the G5+ 1 is better to be held in another friendly country," Rezaei, also former chief commander of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), was quoted as saying.
Offering Istanbul as the venue for the upcoming talks with the G5+1, by the Iranian officials, might give this wrong impression to the West that Iran is in a weak position and Istanbul is Iran's only option, said Rezaei on Monday.
"Hence, Baghdad, Damascus and Beirut are more suitable than Istanbul for holding talks (with the world powers)," said Rezaei who is currently the secretary of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council which has mainly an advisory role to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic republic Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Last Thursday, Khamenei informed visiting Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan that he wanted Iran's nuclear negotiations to take place in Istanbul.
Last week, Iran's Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi also said Tehran considers Istanbul as the best option to host the upcoming nuclear talks between Iran and the G5+1.
On Monday, media quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying that time and venue for Iran-G5+1 has not been finalized despite earlier remarks of U.S. secretary of state who said that the talks would take place on April 13 and 14 in Istanbul.
The reports said that time and place for the talks has been proposed by the G5+1 and Iran is yet to decide.
The last round of nuclear talks between Iran and the G5+1 was held in Istanbul in January 2011 but ended up in vain. The round before that, in late 2010, was in Geneva.
Some European countries want the new round of talks in Geneva rather than Istanbul again. But Iran and Turkey insist on the nuclear talks in Istanbul.
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2012-04-03 23:50:33
Iran's state IRIB TV said Tuesday that Iraq has offered to host the upcoming nuclear talks between Iran and the five permanent members of UN Security Council (the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China) plus Germany, known as G5+1.
Talking to IRIB on condition of anonymity, an informed Iraqi source said that Baghdad has offered to host the next round of nuclear talks between Iran and the G5+1, said a report posted on IRIB TV's website.
The ambassadors of the United States, Britain, France and Germany are informed of the plan and have welcomed Iraq's offer, the source was quoted as saying.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Saturday in Saudi Arabia that six world powers and Iran had agreed on meeting in Turkey's Istanbul on April 13 to resume their stalled talks over Tehran's controversial nuclear program.
On Monday, Mohsen Rezaei, the former rival of Iran's incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009 presidential elections, called on Tehran's nuclear and foreign policy officials to change the venue of the upcoming talks with the world powers from Turkey' s Istanbul to another regional capital like Baghdad, Damascus or Beirut, the local semi-official Fars news agency reported.
"Given the fact that our friends in Turkey have failed to fulfill some of our agreements, the talks between Iran and the G5+ 1 is better to be held in another friendly country," Rezaei, also former chief commander of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), was quoted as saying.
Offering Istanbul as the venue for the upcoming talks with the G5+1, by the Iranian officials, might give this wrong impression to the West that Iran is in a weak position and Istanbul is Iran's only option, said Rezaei on Monday.
"Hence, Baghdad, Damascus and Beirut are more suitable than Istanbul for holding talks (with the world powers)," said Rezaei who is currently the secretary of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council which has mainly an advisory role to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic republic Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Last Thursday, Khamenei informed visiting Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan that he wanted Iran's nuclear negotiations to take place in Istanbul.
Last week, Iran's Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi also said Tehran considers Istanbul as the best option to host the upcoming nuclear talks between Iran and the G5+1.
On Monday, media quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying that time and venue for Iran-G5+1 has not been finalized despite earlier remarks of U.S. secretary of state who said that the talks would take place on April 13 and 14 in Istanbul.
The reports said that time and place for the talks has been proposed by the G5+1 and Iran is yet to decide.
The last round of nuclear talks between Iran and the G5+1 was held in Istanbul in January 2011 but ended up in vain. The round before that, in late 2010, was in Geneva.
Some European countries want the new round of talks in Geneva rather than Istanbul again. But Iran and Turkey insist on the nuclear talks in Istanbul.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
