Geneva renewed Iranian nuclear talks a week ago. Experts have attended a conference entitled ‘The Iranian nuclear program: a new stage of negotiations. First results’ today and discussed changes in the situation around Iran.
Anton Khlopkov, Director of the Center for Energy and Security, said that the position of Iran was changing and the Islamic Republic was making new proposals. China and Russia were ready to show certain flexibility towards Iran. Iran itself wanted to limit its nuclear initiatives in exchange for flexibility and concessions from permanent members of the UNSC and Germany. Iran hoped that the UN, US and EU would ease their sanctions. Khlopkov believes that the upcoming talks in Geneva in November would show progress.
James Acton, a senior associate of the Nuclear Policy Program of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, expressed doubts about Iran’s readiness to concessions. He emphasized that the US could allow Iran to enrich uranium to 5% under certain conditions. But this leaves the fate of uranium enriched to 20% and the Arak reactor unclear. Tehran refused to answer some questions of the IAEA.
Acton noted that authority of the IAEA should not be limited. Iran should inform the IAEA about its intensions beforehand.
