Iran willing to talk about nuclear programme: EU

Brussels, Oct 30 (IANS/AKI) Iran is willing to participate in negotiations regarding its nuclear programme, European Union’s Foreign Affairs chief Catherine Ashton has said.

Ashton said the Islamic Republic would return to talks after Nov 10.

The top Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili “is willing to agree a date and a time after the 10th of November for a dialogue”, Ashton said Friday. “We have always said that the threat of sanctions was for a purpose.”

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in September said he would negotiate with the EU over its uranium enrichment programme.

Iran this week said it will start to load fuel into the core of its first nuclear power plant located in the southern city of Bushehr.

The power plant will become operational once all 163 fuel rods are injected to its core and will begin generating electricity in early 2011, Iranian news reports said.

The US, EU and many of their allies have imposed economic sanctions on Iran because of suspicion that the Tehran has been enriching uranium to develop a nuclear arsenal. Iran says its nuclear ambitions are limited to energy and medical research.

–IANS/AKI