Iran studying negotiation with 5+1

Iran announced on Tuesday that its team of negotiators are studying a proposal by the EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, for the resumption of talks with the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany)."The issue of negotiations with the Group 5+1 and Ashton's letter is being studied by the Iranian delegation (which attended the previous talks) headed by (Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council) Saeed Jalili," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said. He disclosed no more details on the issue, but said the two sides would certainly discuss the contents, date and venue of the talks, adding that once the two sides agree over the aforementioned, the details will be released to the media. Iran and G5+1 attended three rounds of talks in Istanbul, Turkey, in January. The Iranian side was presided by Jalili, while Ashton headed delegations from six world powers. Speaking to reporters in a press conference in Istanbul at the time, Jalili said, "We have always stressed that talks can be useful, successful and progressive only when they are based on a common logic." "If you decide to use another instrument instead of common logic, this would result in dictation and not negotiation, and dictation does not deserve a kind of talks based on the nations' cultures." "On the very same basis, we proposed the Istanbul talks in the Geneva meeting because we believed that a majority of talks over international issues can be held on the basis of the Islamic civilization," Jalili said. "Our Geneva agreement included several key points, including talks for cooperation on common points." "This was our agreement in Geneva, which surely inspires everybody's mind with the idea that when cooperation on common points is the agenda of talks, such negotiations should advance and be progressive. When the decision has been made to talk over common points and talk for cooperation, then such talks can certainly be progressive, successful and constructive," he continued. Asked when the talks can be successful, Jalili answered, "When the requirements of this common logic are clear. When you speak of cooperation, you must avoid whatever causes confrontation and animosity towards a nation, when you speak of cooperation on common points, you must surely respect the nations' rights". "What has been enshrined in the international rules and regulations in a straightforward manner provides the necessary grounds for talks. I don't think that if you tell the international community and the world that talks should be based on the nations' rights, the world would interpret it as a precondition for talks." "Respect for the nations' rights provides the necessary grounds for negotiations," he added.