U.S. Hopes Talks with Iran Have Started a "Serious Process"

By Stephen Kaufman
Staff Writer

Washington - The Obama administration hopes that December 6-7 meetings in Geneva between representatives of Iran, China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany mark the beginning of "a serious process" to address the global concerns over Iran's nuclear activities.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the United States is encouraged by European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton's announcement that the talks between Iran and the other countries, collectively known as the P5+1, will continue in late January 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Geneva talks were led by Ashton; the United States was represented by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns. The United States has said it supports Iran's access to nuclear power if Iran can prove that its nuclear activities are solely for peaceful purposes and it lives up to its responsibilities under international law and to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Crowley said about 75 percent of two days of meetings was devoted to the nuclear issue. He said Iran's Tehran research reactor was discussed, adding, "We'll continue to explore this as we go forward."

Iran and the P5+1 last met in Geneva in October 2009, and the P5+1 proposed a deal that would have provided the Tehran reactor with enriched uranium fuel and would have required that the enrichment be done in another country to ensure that uranium would not be enriched to a level that could be used for nuclear weapons.

Iran ultimately rejected the offer and has declared that it is now enriching its own uranium fuel supplies.

In a December 7 statement issued on behalf of the P5+1, Ashton said the two days of talks had been "detailed [and] substantive," with a focus on Iran's nuclear program and Iran's need to comply with international obligations.

"The countries I represent are united in seeking a resolution of the international community's concerns regarding Iran's nuclear program - which is the central purpose of these talks. We recognize Iran's rights, but insist that it fulfills its obligations," Ashton said.

She added that the P5+1 is "ready to address and to seek common ground also on other issues of mutual interest." Ashton said the January talks in Istanbul will focus on "practical ideas and ways of cooperating towards a resolution of our core concerns."

ENDS

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