’P5+1 will respond to Iran talks offer’

Press TV--As Iran proposes the date and venue of multifaceted talks with world major powers, the office of EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says the P5+1 will respond to Iran soon.

The date and venue for Iran’s talks with the P5+1 -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the US plus Germany -- were announced on Tuesday in a letter sent by the office of Saeed Jalili, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).
 

"In a today letter by the Head of the Office of Dr. Jalili, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to his counterpart Lady Ashton’s office, it has been announced [sic] Iran’s proposed date and place for talks, based of [sic] Dr. Jalili letter of July 6, 2010 to Lady Ashton," read a statement by the SNSC, a copy of which was obtained by Press TV.
 

On Wednesday, the office of Ashton confirmed receipt of the letter, but refused to give details about its contents or the dates, AFP reported.
 

"We will now discuss the details and proposals with our... partners and respond to Doctor Jalili in the coming days," a spokeswoman said.
 

The letter by Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator came after Ashton, who represents the P5+1, proposed on October 14, holding three-day talks in mid-November in the Austrian capital of Vienna.
 

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Tuesday Tehran has already proposed a date for the talks, adding, however, that the two sides can negotiate the date.
 

Mottaki said Tehran has agreed to hold the multifaceted talks in neighboring Turkey and hoped that negotiations would resume soon after the two sides agreed on the agenda of talks.
 

US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley expressed hope in Washington that negotiations would begin "as early as the end of the month."
 

"I would expect there would be consultations within the P5+1 in the next day or two," Crowley said.
 

"If we are successful in getting the process going, not just one meeting but a series of meetings and a serious engagement on the nuclear issue and other issues, we can envision that there would be many potential locations for this series of meetings," he added.

Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan stress transportation cooperation

ISNA-Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan stressed more trade and transportation cooperation as they wrapped up a four-sided international meeting in Tehran.

The meeting was attended by ministers of transportation and foreign affairs of the four countries.

The ministerial meeting’s statement stressed further regional cooperation and advancement of economic collaboration to help progress of regional countries.

The participants said goods transit from Oman to Central Asian states and vice versa through Iran is one of the necessary grounds for cooperation.

The statement also highlighted joint investment to make transit routes shorter and cut transportation costs.

The four countries discussed development of railway infrastructures from southern Iran to Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and launch of trains from southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas to Ashkhabad and Tashkent.

The participants agreed to hold a working committee to arrange agreements on international transit cooperation in Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, examine details of cooperation on customs, transportation and joint investment.

They also agreed to hold a ministerial meeting by March in Ashkhabad to sign an international transit and transportation deal.