Iranian Official Blames G5+1 for Slow Trend of Talks
(FNA)- Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Undersecretary Ali Baqeri in a letter to Deputy of EU Foreign Policy Chief Helga Schmid took the world powers responsible for the slow trend of talks between the two sides.
Baqeri underscored that the lack of preparedness by the Group 5+1 for fulfilling its commitments in Baghdad talks slowed down the trend of talks between the two sides.
"In his bilateral meeting with Catherine Ashton on the sideline of Baghdad talks, Saeed Jalili (Iran's chief negotiator) touched upon this point and mentioned that your lack of preparation has caused the trend of the talks to be slowed down and even lead to standstill."
He added that Iran has provided specified proposals both for the framework of talks and for issues which can be discussed by both sides.
Baqeri recalled that in the final round of talks in Baghdad on May 23 it was said that the next round of talks in Moscow would be successful only if the experts could prepare an agenda for Iran's proposals and also a proposal by the Group 5+1.
On Wednesday, Iran's chief negotiator Saeed Jalili sent a letter to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton over the upcoming talks to be held in Russia's capital Moscow.
In his letter sent to Ashton, Jalili "voiced doubts about the six major world powers' determination to hold fruitful talks with Iran in Moscow".
The other side's hesitation to hold a meeting between deputies and experts throws doubts on their resolve for successful talks in Moscow, Jalili said in the letter.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to hold progressive talks for cooperation based on a clear logic and specific initiatives," he said.
Jalili stated that unless the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (Group 5+1) gear up for meetings at experts and deputies level, holding further talks merely for the sake of discussions would be of no avail.
On April 14 and after a 15-month hiatus, Iran and the six world powers resumed talks in Istanbul, Turkey, and agreed to meet again in the Iraqi capital on May 23.
The Baghdad talks on Iran's nuclear standoff were concluded last month with a plan to hold another round of talks in Moscow on June 18-19.
Iran's doubts were publicized a day after reports that it had sent two letters to Ashton deputy Helga Schmid asking for a preparatory meeting of experts as agreed in talks last month in Baghdad.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council, which oversees the nuclear talks, found the EU response to the letters "unsatisfactory" and only touching on "general topics".
On Thursday, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the western powers are trying to find excuses to waste time in talks with Tehran.
"Iran is ready to pursue negotiations in Moscow, and even in Beijing, and has made good proposals," Ahmadinejad said in the Chinese capital.