Reuters: EU hails "good start" to Iran nuclear talks

[Eugene]

EU hails "good start" to Iran nuclear talks
Fri Jul 7, 2006 5:13am ET

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union said talks with Iran late on Thursday
on a package of incentives to end a nuclear standoff were constructive and laid
the basis for a fuller response by Tehran at a second meeting due next week.

"It's a good start for what we expect will be a positive meeting on July 11,"
Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said
on Friday of his two-hour meeting with Iran chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani.

"We expect on Tuesday that they will be able to give us a substantial response,"
she said of a long-awaited reply to a package of technology, trade and other
incentives for Iran to halt uranium enrichment.

<snip>

She gave no details on the content of the talks between Solana and Larijani,
which she described as a "tete-a-tete" meeting with just an interpreter, saying only
that Solana stressed the benefit to Iran of accepting the offer.

<snip>

Full article: http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-07-07T091313Z_01_L0753224_RTRUKOC_0_US-NUCLEAR-IRAN-TALKS.xml

[TheFarseer]

1. so oil and gas will be down today?

:sarcasm:

[hadrons]

2. sounds like the EU really don't want to confront Iran (thankfully) ....

I guess they realize that Iran is calling their bluff

[Laotra]

3. What EU?

I, an EU-citizen, was never asked if the troika (UK, France, Germany) should start bullying Iran in support of US. They do not represent EU, just themselves. HR Solana does represent EU officially, but without any kind of democratic legitimacy.

Any case, Blair's been quiet about Iran and Germany has publicly distanced itself from the earlier harder positions, so yes, their bluff was called and now they eat the humble pie. Probably they congratule themselves for bringing US to the negotiation table, which has not yeat happened and IMHO should not happen. The US regime should not be negotiated with but stand trial in Hague.

[KKKarl is an idiot]

5. Blair

The mistakes made in Iraq are playing heavily on the Labour party. So he is treading on thin ice. He cannot take the troops into another war.

[Laotra]

6. He just did

Afganistan. And the army don't like it.

[Psephos]

4. Talk is cheap

Meanwhile, Iran keeps torquing the oil markets.

Follow the money...

Peace.