According to reports, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has stated that Iran is ready to take measures to solve the dispute over the country’s nuclear programme. His remarks came after the telephonic conversation with European Union foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton. He mentioned that the two officials agreed to hold a meeting on the side-lines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York this month. President Hassan Rohani has already announced that in his administration the Foreign Ministry would be in charge of the nuclear talks with the major powers. Ashton’s spokesman Michael Mann also said “We are in touch with the Iranian side and as the high representative has already told the Iranian foreign minister in their phone conversation in August, we stand ready to resume negotiations.” Ashton added that world powers wanted to move quickly to resume negotiations over the Iranian program. 1

• 1. “Iran’s Zarif, EU’s Ashton to discuss nuclear talks at UN meeting,” Mehr News Agency, September 7, 2013, at http://old.mehrnews.com/en/newsdetail.aspx?NewsID=1827491