World Press on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (December 8, 2010)

The Washington Post has published an article headlined "Iran talks end with little sign of progress". The talks between Iran and major powers ended on Tuesday in Geneva with few signs of progress, except an agreement to meet again next month in Istanbul, the author says. He stressed the point that there was no public agreement on what was discussed in the past - or even what will be covered in the future. However, the European Union foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, He has said that the talks this week were "detailed and substantive" and that the discussions in January will cover "practical ideas and ways of cooperating toward a resolution of our core concerns about the nuclear issue."

The New York Times has recently published an article entitled "More Nuclear Talks With Iran Are Set". The author admits that the decision to hold another meeting was the only one made in Geneva. "Tense talks between Iran, the United States and other world powers ended Tuesday with an agreement to hold another meeting toward the end of January in Istanbul," says the author. He also quotes an American official who characterized the tenor of the discussions, in which Iran was pressed
on its nuclear program, as "difficult and candid."

The prominent British newspaper The Guardian has published a US State Department document available on the Wikileaks website under the headline "US embassy cables: Strains show in Iran-Syria ties". The editor stresses that according to the document the U.S. should take a modicum of quiet satisfaction that Syria is showing signs of wanting to moderate Iran's influence in its affairs, even though expecting the relationship to end altogether remains unrealistic.

Another article published by The Guardian recently is headlined "Iran: keep talking". According to the author, both sides are stuck in a rut of proving to each other that their policies are prevailing, but neither has seriously begun negotiating. The idea that sanctions are going to force Iran to stop uranium enrichment, which it has already voluntarily done once and got nothing in return, is wishful thinking, the author believes.

The Turkish news agency Hurriyet has recently published an article entitled "Have a nice Hanukkah - and may curses be upon you!". The article is devoted to the background of the announcement by the Turkish President, Prime Minister and Parliamentary Speaker, in which they congratulated Turkish Jews on Hanukkah. According to the author, Turkey and Israel are tired of their "insensible disputes" and willing  to settle the matter.

According to Press TV, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has urged the West to lift sanctions against the country, insisting that the Iranian nation will defend its rights to the end. The same press agency also reports that the President has proposed the formation of a new group, dubbed 6+1, to expand nuclear cooperation between Iran and the six major powers (USA, UK, Russia, France, Germany, China). Meanwhile, After Iran and the P5+1 agreed to hold their next round of
talks in Turkey in late January, the Islamic Republic says its nuclear program will not be on the agenda of future negotiations. The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Saeed Jalili, insists that the upcoming comprehensive talks between Iran and the P5+1 in Istanbul will focus on "common concerns." Monday's talks focused on last week's terrorist attacks in the Iranian capital of Tehran targeting two Iranian nuclear scientists. The SNSC also called on Western powers to exercise commitment to agreements they make with the Islamic Republic. As for the oil production issue, Iran's OPEC
Governor Mohammad Ali Khatibi said the price of crude oil is undervalued, noting that global markets are close to a crisis of
uncertain oil supply.