Iran is in discussions about scheduling a return to international nuclear talks in late October or November, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told a news conference Saturday.
“We think late October or early November will be an appropriate date for the talks by the representatives of Iran and 5+1 countries,” Mottaki told a news conference, referring to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, Reuters reports.
But a spokesperson for the chief international negotiator Catherine Ashton told POLITICO Saturday that while they have seen the reports, they have not been officially contacted by Iran to schedule such a meeting.
“There has been no official date set for talks, nor has there been any official correspondence received by the HR/VP Ashton or her services with regard to a date for talks,” Ashton’s spokesperson Darren Ennis said.
“However, Ashton remains ready to talk and is hopeful this can happen very soon,” he continued.
Diplomatic sources suggested the usual back channeling is going on, but nothing as yet definitive.
