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European troika's senior officials to attend nuclear talks

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Vienna, Dec 19, IRNA
Iran-EU-Nuclear
Senior officials of the European Union troika (Germany, France and Britain) will attend the nuclear negotiations with Iran slated to open here Wednesday.

Representatives of the Islamic Republic and the EU troika are to resume nuclear talks in Vienna, Austria after a five-month suspension.

A Western diplomat told IRNA here Monday that the scheduled talks between senior officials would be higher than the ministerial-level talks at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Talking on condition of anonymity, he said the agenda of the talks have not been decided but said participants are currently sorting out topics to be taken up in the talks.

He further said that several developments could take place before the scheduled talks on Wednesday so nothing can currently be said on the outcome of such talks.

Nuclear talks between Iran and Europe were suspended in August by the European side following Iran's announcement it was abandoning voluntary uranium enrichment at its uranium conversion facility (UCF) in Isfahan as a confidence-building measure.

Europe's negotiators -- UK, France, Germany -- said they would only return to the negotiating table if activities at the UCF were suspended but withdrew its decision after facing Iran's firm determination not to give up uranium enrichment.

Nuclear talks are to be resumed on Wednesday with no
preconditions as demanded by the Iranian side.

An Iranian diplomat, speaking to IRNA here Monday, said "Negotiations will be regarded as just a primary dialogue. The sides will strive to reach a clear agreement on an agenda for future talks between the two sides."
He stressed that Iran would never give up its right to perfect the nuclear fuel cycle, saying "This position will be explicitly made known to the European side and the EU should continue talks with this clear assumption."
The source, moreover, said that the deputy head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) for International Affairs and a senior member of the Iranian negotiation team, Javad Vaeedi, will head the Iranian delegation in the talks.

Iranian Ambassador and Resident Representative to the IAEA Mohammad-Mehdi Akhoundzadeh and Deputy Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) Mohammad Saeedi will be the other members of the delegation.

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