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October 16, 2013

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Iran makes proposal to defuse nuclear standoff

Source: Agencies | October 16, 2013, Wednesday | Print Edition

Iran said it presented a proposal in talks with six world powers yesterday capable of achieving a breakthrough in a decade-old standoff over its nuclear program.

The Islamic Republic began negotiations in earnest with the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany two months after President Hassan Rouhani took office promising conciliation over confrontation in relations with the West.

Iran appeared keen for a negotiated settlement to win relief from sanctions that have crippled its economy, slashed 60 percent of its daily oil export revenue and wrought a steep devaluation of its rial currency.

Details of the Iranian proposal, unveiled as a nearly hour-long PowerPoint presentation, were not immediately available.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the powers had “welcomed” Tehran’s proposals and the details were discussed later in the day. Negotiations led by foreign ministry political directors resumed in the afternoon.

“We think that the proposal we have made has the capacity to make a breakthrough. We had a very serious and good meeting this morning,” he said. “The questions that were asked regarding Iran’s plan were completely serious and our answers were as well.”

The West suspects Iran is trying to develop the means to make nuclear weapons behind the screen of a declared civilian atomic energy program. Tehran denies this but its refusal to limit activity applicable to producing atomic bombs, or to permit unfettered UN inspections, has drawn severe sanctions.

A spokesman for the European Union foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, who oversees diplomacy with Iran on behalf of the six countries, described the Iranian presentation as “very useful” in a carefully worded comment.

A US State Department spokeswoman said Washington would welcome a bilateral meeting with Iran on the sidelines of the talks, suggesting US officials felt a stripped down, separate session with the Iranians could be key to bridging differences.

A US administration official said any potential sanctions relief would be “targeted, proportional to what Iran puts on the table. No one should expect a breakthrough overnight.”

Israel, Iran’s arch-enemy and widely assumed to harbor the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal, has warned the West not to dilute sanctions before Iran has tackled core concerns about its nuclear goals.

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