Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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September 14, 2009

Iran Agrees to Talks With Major Powers in October
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=2694EEE:A6F02AD83191E1605E876257F45E6BEE21A4E82C900CD027&
 
Chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili agrees to launch talks in
phone conversation with EU foreign policy chief 
Iran has agreed to start talks with six world powers on global economic
and security problems next month - in what would be the first such
discussions in more than a year. A spokeswoman for European Union
foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Monday the meeting is set for
October 1. The spokeswoman, Christina Gallach, said the talks are
expected to include representatives from the United States, Russia,
China, France, Britain and Germany. Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed
Jalili Iranian media say the country's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed
Jalili agreed to hold the talks during a phone call Monday with Solana.
The meeting location has not been announced. U.S. Secretary of Energy
Steven Chu says the meeting is an "important first step." He told
reporters at an International Atomic Energy Agency meeting in Vienna
Monday that U.S. officials are "hoping for the best." Last week, the
United States and the five other powers - Britain, France, Germany,
Russia and China - accepted an Iranian offer to hold wide-ranging
negotiations. The Obama administration said it will raise the issue of
Iran's nuclear program during the talks, despite Iran's stated refusal
to discuss the matter. Western nations accuse Iran of trying to develop
nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian energy program, a charge
Tehran denies. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday Iran
has an "undeniable" right to possess peaceful nuclear technology and
will not negotiate over such a right.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.


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