Miliband urges Tehran to take opportunity offered by Obama to improve relations; US at Moscow meet: Afghanistan a “very productive area” for engagement with Tehran; Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator meets NSA Narayanan
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  • The British Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary David Miliband told reporters that Britain supported multilateral and bilateral talks with Iran over its nuclear issue. He added that Iran could exercise its rights to access civilian nuclear technology if it was willing to abide by its responsibilities under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Referring to the recent messages by the US President Barack Obama to engage in direct talks with the Islamic Republic, Miliband urged Iran to take the opportunity “to move towards a position where it can exercise its rights in international community1.”
    US officials meanwhile, at the SCO-sponsored meeting on Afghanistan in Moscow, have stated that Afghanistan was a “very productive area” for engagement between the US and Iran. The leader of the Iranian delegation, Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Mehdi Akhonzadeh, reaffirmed his government’s stance that Washington needed to change its policies before relations could be improved. Iran has also confirmed that it will attend the upcoming Hague conference on Afghanistan, a step being viewed by analysts as a signal that Tehran was ready to help the new US administration in its moves to restore stability in its eastern neighbour2.

    Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili held talks with NSA M.K. Narayanan in New Delhi on March 27 and discussed issues of mutual interest. India and Iran, among other issues, are negotiating a gas pipeline deal which has been stalled by disagreements over costs and Indian fears for the line's safety in Pakistan3.

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