BICOM

Iran yesterday flatly denied it had stopped enrichment of 20% uranium, as talks began in preparation for a further round of negotiations between the P5+1 powers and Tehran over its nuclear programme.

Technical experts representing Iran and the P5+1 forum (United States, UK, China, Russia, France and Germany) began talks yesterday in Vienna, which aim to lay the groundwork for negotiations between political leaders from the two sides scheduled to resume in Geneva next week. High-level talks earlier this month between the two sides were described in a joint statement as “substantive and forward looking.”

Although no details were published regarding yesterday’s technical talks, a senior Iranian official denied claims by an Iranian parliamentarian last week that enrichment of 20% uranium, a short step from weapons grade material, had been halted. Iran’s nuclear energy chief Ali Akbar Saleh told an Iranian news agency, “There has been no stop in the production process.” Addressing his cabinet on Sunday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that an end to 20% uranium enrichment would in any case prove “irrelevant” as there have been “technological improvements that allow Iran to enrich uranium from 3.5 percent to 90 percent within a few weeks.” He called “to increase the pressure on Iran because it continues to enrich uranium even while it negotiates.”

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, officials from Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) met to help resolve an impasse which has seen international inspectors denied access to key Iranian facilities and information. A joint statement described the talks as “very productive” and European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, who coordinates the talks, said “We welcome the commitment expressed by the parties to make swift progress in their cooperation aimed at resolving outstanding issues.”