Iran said Monday it would resume nuclear talks just before a United Nations Security Council deadline to halt its uranium enrichment programme by February 21, DPA reported. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in a press conference that Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani would meet EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. Mottaki did neither disclose the venue nor date of the meeting, but stressed however that the two agreed "to resume talks at the point where they (had been) cut." Mottaki hoped that the two officials could reach the most suitable result, which he said was Iran maintaining its rights and the West being reassured that Tehran was pursuing civilian nuclear projects only.
