London reiterates political solution to Iran-West nuclear standoff

It is time for negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program, a statement by the British Foreign Secretary said after a meeting between the British and Iranian foreign ministers in New York. The statement, which was issued after a meeting between William Hague and Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of the 68th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York,  stressed the need for progress in the nuclear impasse. The statement also said that London welcomes improving ties with Tehran. On Monday, European Union Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said that Zarif will join the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) later this week to discuss Tehran's nuclear program, "Zarif will join the meeting of G5+1 later this week to discuss Iran's nuclear program," Ashton told reporters after meeting Zarif ahead of this week's UN General Assembly session in New York, the World Bulletin reported. "We talked about a number of important issues that focused on the nuclear issue," said Ashton, adding, "We had a good and constructive discussion." The Iranian foreign minister is in New York to take part in the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly, which will open on September 24. Earlier this month, sources disclosed that the British foreign secretary has signaled his country's resolve to improve relations with Iran by offering talks with senior Iranian diplomats. “Hague has offered Zarif to attend bilateral talks on the sidelines of the upcoming annual meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York,” unofficial sources said at the time. Zarif also met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York on Thursday. On Monday, Zarif underlined that his upcoming meetings with the representatives of the world powers, including his today meeting with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, herald the start of interactions, adding that a thorough settlement of issues and problems between the two sides needs continued interaction throughout time. "The field of foreign policy needs sobriety, patience, wisdom and well-assessed and targeted measures and the pile of problems cannot be expected to be resolved by one or some meetings," Zarif wrote in his Facebook page on Monday. "To reach successful and sustainable solutions, the two sides should be ready for constructive interactions based on equal footing," he added. On Saturday, an informed source revealed the structure of Iran’s new team of negotiators in the talks with the world powers. The source told FNA that Zarif and two of his deputies will take part in the talks with the Group 5+1. “Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal Affairs Seyed Abbas Araqchi and Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi will be present in Iran's new nuclear (negotiation) team,” an informed source at the Iranian foreign ministry told FNA on the condition of anonymity. The same source told FNA on Sunday that Iran's former Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Eshaq Al-e-Habib and Foreign Ministry Director-General for the Economic and Specialized International Affairs Hamid Ba'eedinejad will also join Zarif and his two deputies in the talks with the Group 5+1. The source added that two representatives from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) will also be present in the new Iranian team of negotiators. "The new team of negotiators will have a spokesperson as well," he mentioned. The US, Israel and some of their allies claim that Iran is pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program, with Washington and the European Union using the unfounded allegation as a pretext to impose sanctions on Iran. Tehran strongly rejects the groundless claim over its nuclear activities, maintaining that as a committed signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it is entitled to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.