BICOM

The spokesman for European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton yesterday said that representatives of the international community have proposed meeting Iranian officials in February after Tehran rejected plans to meet this month.

Ashton has been tasked with coordinating discussions between Iran and the P5+1 – the US, UK, China, Russia, France and Germany – who are leading the international effort to resolve concerns over Tehran’s nuclear development. The two sides have not met since June 2012 and three previous rounds of negotiations have so far failed to bring about a breakthrough. It had been hoped that the aftermath of the US presidential election in November would provide impetus for a new round of talks this month.

However, Ashton’s spokesman Michael Mann said yesterday at a news briefing in Brussels, “Iran did not accept our offer to go to Istanbul on January 28 and 29 and so we have offered new dates in February.” Expressing frustration, Mann added “We have continued to offer dates since December. We are disappointed the Iranians have not yet agreed.” Mann commented, “We are concerned that this may be delaying tactics.” Iran’s Foreign Minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, rejected this assertion and was quoted by the state news agency IRNA saying, “We have always said that we are ready to negotiate until a result is reached and we have never broken off discussions.”