Tehran: Iran's top nuclear negotiator and EU s foreign policy chief are to meet November 30 for another round of talks on nuclear issues between the Islamic country and the European Union, the state IRNA news agency reported today.

Iran's Saeed Jalili and the bloc s Javier Solana will meet in London, IRNA said. The report cited Javad Vaeedi, a senior nuclear negotiator, as saying that the date for the meeting has been finalised during his telephone conversation with Robert Cooper, Solana s deputy, late today.

But in Brussels, EU officials declined to confirm the date and suggested it was highly unlikely Solana would be available at the time the Iranians announced.
They said the EU had proposed a number of dates this week to the Iranians but they had not agreed. Past EU-Iranian talks were often preceded by a series of dates put forward by Tehran.

Solana s spokeswoman Cristina Gallach said no date had been agreed with the EU and that next week would be "very difficult" because of Solanas other commitments. Solana is to attend a Middle East peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, and also visit the Balkans.
EU officials said Tehran was keen to meet only at the end of the month, in an apparent attempt to delay a report by Solana and a possible third round of UN sanctions against Iran.

Earlier today, Solana told reporters he was still open to new talks on Iranian nuclear plans before the end of month and before the UN s Security Council meets to deliberate on possible new sanctions.

Source : PTI