TEHRAN, Nov. 9 (Reuters) - Iran told world powers on Tuesday it was ready to hold talks in Turkey in late November or early December, but a senior official was quoted as saying Tehran would not discuss its disputed nuclear plans at the meeting.
Western diplomats have made clear they want Iran to address their concerns about its nuclear programme in discussions that six major powers — the United States, France, Russia, Britain, Germany and China — have offered to Tehran later this month.
But analysts say power rivalries within Iran’s conservative establishment may make it difficult for the powers to strike any agreements with the Islamic Republic to restrain its nuclear activity, or even to conduct meaningful talks.
In a letter dated Nov. 9 and seen by Reuters, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, told European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton that he was ready to meet in Istanbul on Nov. 23 or Dec. 5.
Jalili did not spell out what the discussions would focus on. Ashton, on behalf of the six powers, has said everything should be on the table, including Iran’s nuclear programme, which the West suspects is aimed at developing bombs.
Ashton had proposed to meet on Nov. 15-17 in Vienna, and there was no immediate reaction from her to Jalili’s letter.
"I wish to reiterate that his excellency Dr Jalili … will be ready to have a meeting on either 23rd of November or 5th of December 2010 in Istanbul," it read.
Ashton has a mandate from the six world powers involved in Iran’s nuclear negotiations to hold talks with Jalili. In July, Jalili suggested in a letter to Ashton that discussions could be held soon on issues including Tehran’s nuclear programme.
It would be the first such meeting in more than a year and also the first since the United Nations, the United States and the European Union in recent months imposed tougher sanctions on the major oil producer.
But Iran has shown no sign of backing down over nuclear activity it says is for peaceful electricity production, brushing aside a four-year-old offer from the powers of trade and diplomatic benefits if it suspends uranium enrichment.
TALKS IN TURKEY?
Earlier on Tuesday, ISNA news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast as saying Iran will not discuss its nuclear programme in the proposed meeting, heightening doubt about the chances of progress in the long-running row.
"Iran’s talks with (the six powers) will not be about Iran’s nuclear issue at all," Mehmanparast said.
He said this meant that a stalled proposal to swap some of Iran’s enriched uranium stocks for special fuel to run Tehran’s medical research reactor would not be on the agenda either.
Iran has previously said it was ready to resume unconditional talks on the fuel exchange idea, seen by the West as a possible way to build confidence for broader negotiations by reducing Iran’s stock of potential nuclear bomb material.
An aide to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in late October that Iran was not prepared to discuss its nuclear programme with global powers "in this round" of negotiations.
Other Iranian officials have listed conditions for any nuclear talks, including that the parties state their opinion on the reputed nuclear arsenal of Tehran’s arch-enemy, Israel.
Such comments have deepened scepticism in the West that Iran would be prepared to compromise on its nuclear programme, which its leaders see as the country’s inalienable right.
"Iran has not shown any willingness to engage in a meaningful way," said David Albright, head of the Institute for Science and International Security, based in Washington.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Sunday said Iran was ready to hold talks "as soon as possible" and that Turkey might be the best venue for negotiations.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday Ankara expects to host talks on Iran’s nuclear work "some time soon".
But, Albright told Reuters, "I’m not very optimistic that even confidence-building measures can be meaningfully negotiated, let alone substantive issues."
