Iran wants nuclear talks to be held in Istanbul
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E-mail Xinhua, March 30, 2012
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei Thursday informed Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he wanted Iran's nuclear negotiations to take place in Istanbul.
The Iranian leader conveyed the information during his meeting with the visiting Turkish prime minister, according to Turkey's semi-official Anatolia news agency.
The report said that Erdogan reiterated Turkey's readiness to host nuclear talks in Istanbul between Iran and the 5+1 group, which comprises five UN Security Council members plus Germany, and Iran's foreign minister said the date has been set as April 13.
"We had made a proposal to hold the nuclear meeting in Istanbul. The Iranian foreign minister had expressed a desire to hold the nuclear negotiations in Istanbul. We are waiting for the decision of the 5+1," Erdogan said at a press conference with Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi in Tehran.
"The date has been set as April 13, but the negotiations for the venue are still ongoing," Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said, adding that "Turkey has announced its readiness to host the talks, and my personal preference is Istanbul."
The foreign minister said a "suggestion" from the 5+1 for a venue had been received and was being studied, and the location "will be announced soon."
The last round of nuclear talks between Iran and 5+1 was held in Istanbul in January 2011 and ended in failure. The round before that, in late 2010, was in Geneva.
The UN has imposed four rounds of sanctions against Tehran for its refusal to halt uranium enrichment, a technology that can be used to produce nuclear fuel or materials for nuclear bombs.
The European Union, the U.S. and other countries have imposed an oil embargo as part of sanctions to pressure Tehran into resuming talks on the country's nuclear program.
They have also imposed tough banking sanctions aimed at limiting Iran's ability to sell oil, which accounts for 80 percent of its foreign revenue.
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