VIENNA, Oct 19: Senior officials from France, Britain and Germany will meet Iran's top nuclear negotiator in Vienna on Thursday to offer Tehran a final chance to halt uranium enrichment plans or face possible UN sanctions.
"This Thursday, there will be a meeting of our political directors," British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told a London news conference with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer.
"What will be sought on Thursday will be discussions about Iran's compliance - not with any conditions laid down by the three of us, but by the (International Atomic Energy Agency) board of governors," he said. "A proposal will be put to them."
Last month, the IAEA board passed a resolution demanding that Iran freeze its uranium enrichment activities - procedures that could produce fuel for nuclear weapons - but Tehran rejected the demand as illegal.
Officials in Tehran said negotiator Hassan Rohani, secretary-general of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was to travel to Italy on Tuesday evening. It was unclear what his itinerary would be prior to Thursday's meeting in Vienna.
Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, said Iran was determined to press ahead with its atomic plans and would not give up its right to enrich uranium.
"We will review the Europeans' proposal only if it respects Iran's right (to master the nuclear fuel cycle)," Mr Aghazadeh told state television. The process of enriching uranium could lead to a product usable in nuclear power plants or weapons.
Diplomats said the meeting between Mr Rohani and the European political directors would take place in Vienna, where the IAEA has its headquarters. But they said the IAEA would not be directly involved in the talks.-Reuters
