Iran offers dates for talks with powers in Turkey

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran told world powers on Tuesday it was ready to hold talks in Turkey in late November or early December, but a senior official signaled reluctance to discuss elements of Tehran's nuclear plans at the meeting.

Western diplomats have made clear they want Iran to address concerns about its nuclear programme in discussions that six major powers -- the United States, France, Russia, Britain, Germany and China -- have offered to Tehran later this month.

But analysts say rivalries within Iran's conservative establishment may make it more difficult for the powers to strike any agreements with the Islamic Republic to restrain its nuclear activity, or even to conduct meaningful talks.

In a letter dated November 9 and seen by Reuters, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, told European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton that he was ready to meet in Istanbul on November 23 or December 5.

A spokesman for Ashton confirmed the letter and said she would be discussing it with the six world powers, who have given her a mandate to hold talks with Jalili. "It's a positive step and we'll be looking at the next steps," he said.

Jalili did not spell out what he wanted the discussions to focus on. Ashton has said everything should be on the table, including Iran's uranium enrichment programme, which the West suspects is aimed at producing fuel for nuclear weapons.

"I wish to reiterate that his excellency Dr Jalili ... will be ready to have a meeting on either 23rd of November or 5th of December 2010 in Istanbul," the letter read.

Ashton had proposed to meet on November 15-17 in Vienna. An EU diplomatic source said the powers were unlikely to have any problems with the new date proposed by Jalili but may suggest an alternative venue in Europe.

It would be the first such meeting in more than a year and also the first since the United Nations, the United States and the European Union imposed tougher sanctions on Iran.

NUCLEAR TALKS?

But Tehran has shown no sign of backing down over advancing enrichment work it says is for peaceful electricity production, shrugging off a four-year-old offer from the powers of trade and diplomatic benefits if it suspends the programme.

In Washington, the State Department said the powers would consult and respond soon to Jalili, and underscored that Iran's nuclear programme would be the main subject for any talks.

"At the top of our list is Iran's nuclear intentions," spokesman P.J. Crowley said. "We will work to try to nail down with Iran the specific date and location for this meeting."

A British Foreign Office spokesman said: "We have made clear that we are willing to discuss a range of issues tabled by Iran, but it is critical that substantive discussion of Iran's nuclear programme be at the heart of these negotiations."

Iran has been sending mixed signals on its readiness to talk and about the topics for discussion.

Earlier on Tuesday, ISNA news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast as saying Iran will not discuss its nuclear programme in the proposed meeting, heightening doubt about the chances of progress in the long-running row.

He said this meant that a stalled proposal to swap some of Iran's enriched uranium stocks for special fuel to run Tehran's medical research reactor would not be on the agenda either.

Iran has previously said it was ready to resume unconditional talks on the fuel exchange idea, seen by the West as a possible way to build confidence for broader negotiations by reducing Iran's stockpile of potential nuclear bomb material.

EU diplomats have said in recent weeks that the message they have received from Iran was positive on holding discussions that would include the nuclear issue.

But an aide to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in late October that Iran was not prepared to discuss its nuclear programme with global powers "in this round" of negotiations.

Other Iranian officials have listed conditions for any nuclear talks, including that the parties state their opinion on the reputed nuclear arsenal of Tehran's arch-enemy, Israel.

Such comments have deepened skepticism in the West that Iran would be prepared to compromise on its nuclear programme, which its leaders see as the country's inalienable right.

"Iran has not shown any willingness to engage in a meaningful way," said David Albright, head of the Institute for Science and International Security, based in Washington.

(Additional reporting by Luke Baker in Brussels, Andrew Quinn in Washington and Adrian Croft in London; writing and additional reporting by Fredrik Dahl in Vienna; editing by Mark Heinrich)