Iran: pressure-talks approach futile

The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council says major world powers have apparently understood the futility of the “pressure-talks” approach.

“Our impression from the atmosphere of talks is that the P5+1 — Britain, China, France, Russia, and the US plus Germany — has understood the futility of the dual approach pressure-talks,” Saeed Jalili said in a meeting with Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Hailong on Monday.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 in Geneva.

Jalili and EU Foreign Affairs Chief Catherine Ashton, who represents the P5+1, opened the multifaceted talks between Iran and the six powers in Geneva on Monday.

During talks with Ashton, Jalili condemned the West and P5+1 for the terrorist attack which led to death of an Iranian lecturer.

He also questioned the world’s silence on these terrorist attacks and the involvement of certain countries in these attacks and asked why the P5+1 had not condemned these attacks?

“In my view the first round of talks took place in an atmosphere of compromise and the stance of Western countries was different from the past,” Wu said.

The P5+1, headed by Ashton, comprises of the deputy foreign ministers of member states.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns were also present at the talks.

Dialogue between Iran and the P5+1 has been stalled since October 1, 2009, when the two sides met in Geneva.