Iran sees chance for 'new era' in talks with world powers

IRAN: Iran's lead nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, sees a chance to open a "new era" in ties with Washington and other world powers at talks on Wednesday in Baghdad on its atomic programme, Iranian media reported.

"Since the foundation of these talks is based on cooperation, the negotiations between the seven nations will cover international, regional and nuclear issues, and we hope this will be a beginning of a new era," Jalili was quoted as telling an Iraqi Shiite political party head, Ammar al-Hakim, in Baghdad late Tuesday.

Jalili is to sit down in the Iraqi capital with representatives of the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany (collectively known as the P5+1) for talks on international concerns over Iran's nuclear activities.

The Western nations fear the programme includes a drive to develop atomic weapons, and they have imposed increasingly harsh sanctions on Tehran to pressure it to suspend its nuclear activities. AFP