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US official to attend Iran talks
A top US official is to attend talks aimed at persuading Iran to halt
its nuclear enrichment programme.
Under Secretary of State William Burns will travel to Switzerland with
the EU foreign envoy Javier Solana to receive Iran's response to a UN
offer.
The US said Mr Burns would not hold separate talks with Iranian
negotiator Saeed Jalili, and was there to listen.
A BBC correspondent says this is a first under the Bush administration
and represents a significant policy ****ft.
Iran denies any nuclear weapons plans, but is defying UN Security
Council demands to halt uranium enrichment.
In the past, the Bush administration has insisted that no talks will
be held with Iran until it suspends its uranium enrichment programme,
says the BBC's Jonathan Beale in Wa****ngton.
Now, in a clear ****ft in policy, it seems a meeting is going to take
place without that precondition being met, our correspondent says.
The Bush administration says Mr Burns's presence is designed to
demonstrate the West's unity and to reiterate that the terms of
negotiations remain the same - namely that Iran must first halt its
uranium enrichment programme for further talks to take place.
How significant the move is will become clearer after the talks in
Geneva on Saturday, our correspondent adds.
'One-time participation'
A state department official told the BBC that Mr Burns - the third-
most senior United States diplomat - would "reiterate that our terms
of negotiation remain the same - that Iran must suspend its enrichment
and reprocessing".
He went on: "This will be a one-time participation by Ambassador
Burns."
The US is among six world powers which have offered Iran negotiations
on a package of incentives, including direct contact and dialogue, if
Tehran suspends uranium enrichment, a process the West fears could be
used to make nuclear weapons.
But it has not previously sent US diplomats to sit down face-to-face
with Iranian negotiators to discuss the issue.
The purpose of the talks is to find out how Iran will respond to the
West's offer of economic incentives if Tehran suspends its uranium
enrichment programme.
The package brought to Tehran by Mr Solana last month includes a
series of proposals designed to help Iran develop a civilian nuclear
programme.
The meeting comes at a time of increased tension between Iran and the
US, particularly following Iranian missile tests last week that
prompted the US to warn that it would defend its interests and its
allies in the region.
Formal contacts between the US and Iran are very rare. The two nations
have not had diplomatic relations since the 1979 Iranian Revolution
and the taking of hostages at the US embassy in Tehran.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/7508748.stm
Published: 2008/07/16 03:18:03 GMT
=A9 BBC MMVIII
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