Solana, Iran nuclear negotiator to talk soon: EU
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana are expected to discuss the major powers' offer on Tehran's nuclear program by phone soon, Solana's spokeswoman said on Sunday.
"We expect a contact between Mr Solana and Mr Jalili soon by phone," the spokeswoman said, a day after the informal deadline set by the powers for an answer from Iran. She gave no further details.
Western officials gave Tehran two weeks from July 19 to respond to their offer not to impose more U.N. sanctions on Iran if it froze any expansion of its nuclear work.
Iran said on Saturday it would not back down in its nuclear row with the powers.
"In whichever negotiation we take part ... it is unequivocally with the view to the realization of Iran's nuclear right and the Iranian nation would not retreat one iota from its rights," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a statement.
The six powers -- the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany -- have appointed Solana to lead the nuclear talks with Iran.
The West accuses Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian power program. Iran, the world's fourth largest oil producer, says its uranium enrichment drive is aimed solely at generating electricity.
(Reporting by Ingrid Melander; editing by Tim Pearce)
