We will be positive in N-talks: Iran

Iran said on Monday it would head into the next round of talks with six world powers on the Islamic republic’s controversial nuclear programme later this month with a “positive” approach.

Foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi also said that the head of the UN atomic watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei had been full of praise for Iran’s cooperation during his weekend visit to Tehran.

Ghashghavi reiterated at a news conference that the Iranian nuclear programme was peaceful in purpose, and dismissed Western demands that Tehran offer guarantees to this effect.

Iran and Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States are to meet again by the end of October for more discussions on Tehran’s nuclear programme after talks last week in Geneva, the first in 15 months.

Ghashghavi said he was not in a position to make a “judgment” about how the late October round of talks would proceed, but he said that Tehran “was going forward with this positive approach.”

“We think it is constructive because the fact is that the negotiations are going forward,” he said.