Iranian parliamentary speaker on why EU meeting postponed

Описание: (5 Jul 2006) SHOTLIST :
1. Iran's parliament speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel and Iraq's National Assembly speaker Mahmoud al-Mashadani arriving at news conference
2. Close up of hand writing
3. Media
4. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, Iran's parliamentary speaker:
"The reason for delay and postponement (of meeting between Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana) was technical rather than political and this delay does not indicate unwillingness of neither sides for negotiation"
5. Media
6. Mid of a reporter
7. Haddad Adel and al-Mashadani leaving the news conference
STORYLINE:
Iran postponed crucial talks on Wednesday meant to ease its standoff with the West over its nuclear program, citing annoyance over the activities of exiled opposition groups as the reason for the unexpected 24-hour delay, EU officials said.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana expressed surprise at Tehran's request for a postponement of his scheduled meeting with Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani on Wednesday.
However Iran's parliament speaker said on Wednesday that the postponement was "technical rather than political."
"This delay does not indicate unwillingness of neither sides for negotiation," Gholam Ali Haddad Adel told journalists during a news conference.
Major powers have called on Iran to suspend enrichment for the duration of any negotiations.
Solana's spokeswoman said the first indication of a postponement came when Iranian diplomats in Brussels complained about the intensified activities in EU-member countries of opponents of the theocratic regime.
The spokeswoman said that in a telephone conversation with Solana late on Tuesday, Larijani proposed moving their meeting to next Tuesday, but Solana asked him to come at an earlier date.
They were to discuss a package of incentives put forward by the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany and presented to Tehran by Solana in June.
It calls on Iran to suspend enrichment for the duration of any negotiations, and sets out the priority of a long-term moratorium of such activity until the international community is convinced that Iran's nuclear aims are peaceful.
The offer includes such incentives as nuclear expertise and reactors.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...