Tehran/Brussels - Iran is set to meet the world's major powers for talks on its disputed nuclear programme on October 1, officials in Tehran and Brussels said Monday. Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Saeid Jalili and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana "spoke this morning and agreed on a date for talks ... of October 1," Solana's spokeswoman Cristina Gallach said.
The venue for the talks has not been fixed, Gallach said.
Solana, a former nuclear scientist, has been tasked with negotiating with Iran on behalf of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - and Germany.
The world powers had earlier said that they wanted Iran to respond to an offer of direct negotiations with the US by the beginning of the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi had earlier Monday said that Iran wanted to discuss global nuclear disarmament with international powers, but did not want to discuss its own nuclear programme.
"What we want to discuss with the world powers is the message of peaceful nuclear energy for everyone and nuclear weapons for no one," Ghashghavi said at a press briefing in Tehran.
He added that acting upon its policy of justice and peace for the sake of progress, Iran also wanted to discuss global economic and security problems with the five permanent member states of the United Nations Security Council and Germany.
The spokesman reiterated that the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme, which the West suspects is geared towards producing nuclear weapons, would not be on the agenda.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday that the nuclear issue was finished and Iran would not discuss "its legitimate and ultimate nuclear rights with anyone."
The six powers want to focus on Iran's controversial nuclear programmes rather than Tehran's views on global issues.
Ghashghavi denied reports that the talks might be held in Turkey.
