Solana Says To Meet Iran's Larijani Likely Next Week

Dow Jones Newswires:

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Wednesday he would likely meet with Iran's nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani next week amid growing pressure on Iran to quickly accept an incentives package in return for halting its nuclear program. READ MORE

"I expect to meet in the coming days, next week probably, Ali Larijani," Solana told reporters. Solana added he had a "good, long conversation" by telephone with Larijani on Wednesday.

Officials said specifics of the meeting weren't yet fixed. The talks were expected to focus on questions Tehran has on the incentives package Solana presented in Tehran on June 6, they said. Washington has suggested that if Iran had questions about the package they could raise them with Solana.

The E.U.'s top diplomat said at an E.U.-U.S. summit Wednesday there wasn't much room for talk anymore and called for Tehran to quickly make up its mind.

The E.U. and the U.S. issued a statement renewing a warning to Iran it faces economic and other sanctions unless it agrees to halt its uranium enrichment activities.

Washington and the E.U. believe Iran could be intending to use its enrichment program to develop weapons, rather than to make fuel for civilian nuclear power, as Iran claims.