Iran begins nuke talks with US, EU

Ankara/Dubai: Iranian, U.S. And  European Union officials will start two days of talks about Tehran’s nuclear programme on Monday, Iran said, giving its first word about what appears to be a bid to rescue faltering wider negotiations on ending a decade-old dispute.

Iranian deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi told state-run Iranian television in remarks broadcast on Sunday that the meeting in Geneva would also discuss sanctions that have damaged the OPEC member’s oil-dependent economy.

“The meeting tomorrow with the Americans will be trilateral and Helga Schmidt, the deputy of EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, will be present as well,” Mr Araqchi said.

Nuclear talks between Iran and six major powers in Vienna last month ran into difficulties, with each side accusing the other of having unrealistic demands in negotiations aimed at curbing Tehran’s atomic program in exchange for an end to economic sanctions that have crippled its economy.

That raised doubts over the prospects for a breakthrough by a July 20 deadline.

Western officials say Iran wants to maintain an excessive uranium enrichment capability. Iran says it wants to avoid reliance on foreign suppliers of fuel for its nuclear reactors and rejects Western allegations it seeks the capability to make atomic weapons under cover of a civilian energy programme.

The US said on Saturday that it would send its No. 2 diplomat, deputy secretary of State Bill Burns, to Geneva to meet senior Iranian officials on Monday and Tuesday. Mr Burns had led secret

U.S.-Iranian negotiations that helped bring about a Nov. 24 interim nuclear agreement between Iran and  major powers.