Iran Nuclear Watch: EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana – Iran Talks off to “Good Start”

Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani (L) is welcomed by European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana ahead of a meeting in Brussels July 6, 2006.

Reuters: EU hails “good start” to Iran nuclear talks

The European Union said talks with Iran late on Thursday on a package of incentives to end a nuclear standoff were constructive and laid the basis for a fuller response by Tehran at a second meeting due next week.

“It’s a good start for what we expect will be a positive meeting on July 11,” Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said of his two-hour meeting with Iran chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani.

“We expect on Tuesday that they will be able to give us a substantial response,” she said by telephone on Friday of a long-awaited reply to a package of technology, trade and other incentives for Iran to halt uranium enrichment.

Asked whether the EU was confident Iran would comply with Western demands for a full answer by a summit of Group of Eight industrial powers in St Petersburg on July 15, she said:

“We want to create the conditions for the start of negotiations as soon as possible … I have always said we are not using the word ‘deadlines’,” she said, adding the summit and an earlier meeting of major power foreign ministers on July 12 were nonetheless key dates.

After several days of dancing and stalling Iran finally comes to the negotiating table to confront the July 12 deadline set by the P-5-Plus-1 group of nations. Last night’s dinner meeting was only for two hours so what kind of “good start” is beyond Flap.

Iran will give NO answer next week or will simply cancel the meeting for whatever reason it desires. The North Korea missile crisis may give Iran the cover it needs to stall a definitive NO for months.

In the meantime, the centrifuges are spinning at the uranium enrichment nuclear facility at Natanz.

Solana is due to host Larijani for a second round of talks in Brussels on July 11 with the countries behind the offer, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany, also to be present at the meeting.

Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told reporters before meeting Solana he would give a preliminary response next week.

“We are serious about continuing negotiations and will start next Tuesday with talks,” he told reporters.

A U.S. official later told State Department reporters in an email that Larijani had not responded to the proposal during his first meeting with Solana.

Flap handicaps that Larijana will either cancel the meeting due to Israel/Palestine or North Korea flaps or will bring objections to the talk’s format and attempt to negotiate the negotiations. Iran will give no answer at the July 11th meeting.

But, everyone knows what Iran’s answer is. Iran will NOT halt uranium enrichment under ANY circumstances.

Stay tuned……