Iran has expressed willingness to have talks with the European Union on its nuclear programme after the month of Ramadan ends in early September, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Sunday, according to Reuters. He also said after a meeting with his Iranian and Brazilian counterparts that Iran would send a letter on Monday to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) asking for a start to separate "technical" talks on implementing a nuclear fuel swap. The West fears Iran's secretive uranium enrichment programme is a veiled quest to develop nuclear weapons capability. Tehran denies this, saying it seeks only electricity from enrichment so it can export more of its oil wealth. Brazil and Turkey have characterised the proposed fuel deal as a way to build confidence for broader negotiations involving six world powers, represented for now by the EU's foreign policy chief, on an overall nuclear settlement with Iran. "The Iranian Foreign Minister confirmed once again they are ready to start negotiations with Mrs Ashton... (He) stated that immediately after Ramadan they would start with negotiations," Davutoglu said, adding they could meet in Istanbul. Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign affairs chief, wrote to Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili last month inviting him to resume negotiations. The Muslim fasting month of Ramadan ends in the first half of September. Davutoglu spoke after a meeting with foreign ministers Manouchehr Mottaki of Iran and Celso Amorim of Brazil, their first since the three struck a tentative swap accord in May that failed to prevent fresh U.N. sanctions against Iran. -- SPA
