Iran will not discuss its nuclear program at talks with global powers, an adviser to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday, adding fresh doubt to the chances of a negotiated end to its stand-off with the West.

Iran said on Friday it was ready to resume talks which stalled more than a year ago and led to tightened sanctions against the Islamic Republic which many countries fear is seeking nuclear weapons, something it denies.

Both sides have said the talks could happen after November 10, but Ali Akbar Javanfekr, a media adviser to the president, said they would not cover the nuclear issue – the one subject the other countries want to address.
“We will not be talking with the Western party about the nuclear energy issue in this round of the negotiations,” Javanfekr said, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

The P5+1 group – the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. plus Germany – want Iran to suspend uranium enrichment which can have both civilian and military uses, in exchange for trade and diplomatic benefits on offer since 2006.

Javanfekr said the P5+1 countries had yet to address Ahmadinejad’s conditions for resuming talks. He did not say what the talks would cover if they do not address the nuclear issue.

In a television interview on Saturday night, Ahmadinejad reiterated his position that the other parties should say whether they come to the table as Iran’s friends. “From the very beginning we told them that they have no option but negotiating with Iran. But it should be based on justice,” he said on state-run TV. “(We ask) on the basis of what framework are you going to negotiate? Is it based on justice and respect? But they do not dare announce it yet.”

Ahmadinejad said talks could happen even if Iran was not satisfied with the responses, but that: “We will negotiate one way with friends, another way with enemies.” He did not specify whether that meant Iran would enter negotiations but refuse to address the nuclear issue.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast remained optimistic that the talks — which EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton proposed holding in Vienna from November 15 to 17 — would still happen. “The contacts and consultations are under way and we are hopeful we will reach agreement over the details for the talks including the time, place and the content of the negotiation,” he was quoted as saying by Fars.

source: Reuters

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