US, Turkey willing to renew talks with Iran
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E-mail Xinhua, February 14, 2012
The United States and Turkey on Monday expressed their willingness to renew negotiations with Iran over its controversial nuclear program.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Washington continues to pursue a dual-track approach to Iran "that both applies sanctions to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons but also makes it clear that we are ready to sit down and discuss in a purposeful way, through diplomatic engagement, the nuclear program."
"I have said many times from this podium and elsewhere we recognize Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy, but Iran also has international responsibilities that we expect it to live up to," the top U.S. envoy told reporters after meeting her Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu at the State Department.
Davutoglu vowed that his country "will be contributing to all processes" and "will be doing everything possible to resolve this issue."
He said he and Clinton shared the view that the best way is to start the negotiations "with a strong political will and good intention and with a result-oriented process."
During his visit to Tehran last month, the Iranians expressed their willingness to restart the negotiations, Davutoglu said, adding that his country had a "close contact" with European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
Britain, China, France, Russia,the United States and Germany had their last talks with Iran over its nuclear program in Istanbul, Turkey in January last year, without making any progress.
The West has been demanding a response from Iran to a letter by Ashton on behalf of the six powers on Oct. 21 last year before restarting talks with the Islamic republic.
The letter, made public last month, states the overall goal of the six powers remains "a comprehensive negotiated long-term solution," which restores international confidence in the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program.
"We are willing to mediate or do anything which will contribute to the process," Davutoglu said.
The United States and the European Union have targeted Iran's central bank and oil exports for sanctions in their continuous efforts to force the country to abandon its uranium enrichment activities.
The West accuses Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons through its nuclear program, the allegation which the Islamic Republic categorically rejects.
