Chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi said that Iraq is a “suitable” option for the next round of talks between Iran and the six world powers since Baghdad enjoys good ties with both negotiating parties.
“Given its geostrategic and geopolitical situation and its good ties with Iran, Iraq is a suitable venue for the talks with the G5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany),” Boroujerdi stressed on Thursday.
The Iranian lawmaker further said that Iraq has a good relationship with the G5+1 member states – the US, Britain, China, Russia, France plus Germany, adding, however, that other options will be considered if the six world powers oppose the choice.
“Of course, it goes without saying that Asia has a greater chance for hosting the talks,” he said.
The remarks by the Iranian legislator came after diplomatic sources told FNA Thursday evening that Iran has rejected repeated offers by the western side to hold the next round of talks with the world powers in several European countries, and that undersecretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Baqeri and EU foreign policy deputy chief Schmitt still continue negotiations about the venue of the talks.
The Iranian team of negotiators is led by SNSC Secretary Saeed Jalili, while delegations of the six world powers are headed by EU foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton. The deputies of Jalili and Ashton are in charge of discussions over the date and venue of the talks.
The sources said Ashton had named several European countries, including Norway, Switzerland and Austria, for holding the talks with Iran, but the Iranian side has rejected Ashton’s offers, stressing that it is not interested in attending the talks in these countries.
Also, diplomats told FNA that the Iranian SNSC Undersecretary and the EU foreign policy deputy chief have agreed on April 14 as the date for holding the next round of talks.
The last meeting between the two sides took place in Istanbul in January 2011. Iran and the G5+1 had also held two rounds of multifaceted talks in Geneva in December 2010.
Iran’s political circles and figures have recently increased their demands for changing the venue of the Iran-G5+1 talks from Istanbul to another Asian city.
After Expediency Council Secretary and former commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Mohsen Rezayee, Iranian legislators also asked the government to change the venue of the talks with the world powers from Istanbul, Turkey, to the capital of another regional country.
Influential lawmaker Seyed Mohammad Javad Abtahi on Wednesday called on Ahmadinejad’s government to choose another place, other than Turkey or Istanbul, for the upcoming talks with the world power.
Abtahi pointed to the so-called ‘Friends of Syria’ conference in Istanbul, and said the meeting showed that Turkey is practically implementing the West and the Zionist regime of Israel’s policies in the region.
He asked the Iranian officials to avoid choosing Istanbul as the venue for the Iran-G5+1 talks, and stated, “The Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) should revise its view about the venue of the talks.”
