Iran Offers More Nuclear Transparency

Iran offered yesterday to bolster its cooperation with international nuclear inspectors, a move that could be significant if truly implemented, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, May 31).

Iranian nuclear envoy Ali Larijani met yesterday in Madrid with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana to discuss ways to restore high-level talks to resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis.

“This is the first time they made such a serious offer without preconditions,” said one official, adding that Larijani had said the nation could resolve outstanding questions in “a short timetable.”

While the offer could potentially ease international concerns over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, Larijani did not agree to meet a Western demand for Iran to freeze its uranium enrichment program (George Jahn, Associated Press/PR-Inside.com, June 1).

“We cannot say that there has been a fundamental breakthrough, but what we can say it that we have advanced in many important subjects,” Solana told reporters after yesterday’s four-hour meeting (Burnett/Cooper, New York Times, June 1).

The two diplomats agreed to meet again two weeks (Jahn, Associated Press).

Back to top
About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines © Copyright 2008 by National Journal Group, Inc. The material in this section is produced independently for NTI by National Journal Group, Inc. Any reproduction or retransmission, in whole or in part, is a violation of federal law and is strictly prohibited without the consent of the National Journal Group, Inc. All rights reserved.