Prospects for new rounds of talks on Iran’s nuclear program have risen after meetings between Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul on May 7. Davutoglu had proposed such a meeting to Iran during his visit to the country last month. The meeting, possibly to take place in Turkey, was proposed to be held between Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, as a representative of the so-called P5+1 group, consisting of UN Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany.
Turkey and Brazil, both non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, have repeatedly called for a peaceful solution to the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, saying that the West's push to impose new sanctions on Iran will not solve the issue.
According to a report released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, “Turkey will do all it can to avoid any military confrontation and sanctions on Iran, while ensuring Tehran is transparent about its nuclear program.” Speaking to the media, the Turkish Foreign Minister also stated that "Iran must provide guarantees" that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes "and must be transparent with the International Atomic Energy Agency."
Meanwhile, the US State Department has expressed hope that the efforts of Turkey and Brazil to find a peaceful solution to the dispute over Iran's nuclear program will be successful. “We do recognize the value and importance of a variety of countries engaging Iran," AFP quoted US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley as saying on Tuesday. Crowley added that "we hope that these efforts by Turkey, Brazil and others might be successful."