Source:

October 9, 2010

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki (file photo: AP )

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says late October or early November would be a good time to hold talks with world powers about Tehran’s controversial nuclear program.

Mottaki offered the time frame at a news conference Saturday.  He said Iran will be ready then to resume nuclear talks with the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany – a group known as the P5+1.

Two weeks ago, Mottaki told China’s foreign Minster Yang Jiechi that Iran is ready to resume talks with world powers if they recognize Iran’s right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

The United States and other nations suspect that Iran’s nuclear program is aimed at creating an atomic weapon, a charge Iran denies.

The P5+1 said recently it had renewed efforts to seek a negotiated solution with Iran.  The group said it wanted to reestablish a dialogue with Tehran on a nuclear swap proposal that was introduced last year.

Under that plan, Iran would swap low-enriched uranium for uranium fuel rods that would be used in a medical research reactor.  The purpose would be to limit Iran’s access to enriched uranium that could be used to create a nuclear weapon.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.