Iran not to invite Solana to next round of Iran-EU nuclear talks

Xinhuanet:

Iran will not invite EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana to the next round of nuclear talks with France, Britain and Germany, the official IRNA news agency quoted an official close to Iranian negotiating team as saying on Thursday.

The official, who asked not to be named, said Iran is not satisfied with Solana's negative attitude toward Iran's nuclear program and opted for not inviting him to the next round of talks with the European trio. READ MORE

Iran-EU standoff about nuclear program has led to a draft resolution adopted at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors in September.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday that Iran's nuclear facilities were not up for negotiation and said Tehran will not talk with countries demanding they be dismantled.

"We do not reject negotiations, but we will not accept negotiations that are aimed at depriving Iran of its rights," Ahmadinejad told the state television in an interview.

Iran's top national security official and chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said on Thursday that "if the objective is to conduct negotiations aimed at making us forget our right to the nuclear fuel cycle, the Iranian people will not accept such a thing."

The European trio, backed by the United States, asked Iran to give up nuclear fuel cycle -- which can be diverted to military purposes.

Iran refused the demand, insisting that its nuclear fuel cycle be aimed at producing fuel for power plants in line with Safeguards Agreement of IAEA and it do not see economical to import fuel from other countries.

Iran has had nuclear talks over the past two years with Britain, France and Germany. The negotiations have been deadlocked and new date for such talks has not been set.