World Press on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (November 16, 2010)

The Washington Post has published today an article headlined "Official: Iran, West agree on timing of nuke talks". The author of the article reports that Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said the country has agreed with the West on the timing of talks about Tehran's nuclear program. Ramin Mehmanparast's announcement Tuesday follows a letter to Iran last week in which EU's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, suggested the meeting be held in Vienna or Switzerland on Dec. 5. Ashton rejected Tehran's preference for a meeting in Istanbul. She said she had discussed the matter with the six-nation group of negotiators. Mehmanparast said, "I think we have reached an agreement on the time" but gave no date or details.

The Los Angeles Times published an article today entitled "China's rise in the Middle East", which deals with the problem of Iranian-Chinese and Iranian-Turkish relations. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was in China this month touting the "new cooperation paradigm" between Ankara and Beijing. Just a week earlier, a top political advisor to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao spent five days in Syria signing deals and planting olive trees in the Golan Heights. Iranian-Chinese relations are also improving. According to the author, Beijing did not choose Iran, Syria and Turkey as the focal point of its regional "outreach" by accident. These northern-tier Middle Eastern states all have complicated if not problematic relations with the United States and increasingly close ties with one another. To complement this triumvirate, China appears to be looking to Iraq as the next target of its charm offensive.

British newspaper The Guardian reports that Iranian state TV broadcast a statement last night by the woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, in which she described herself as a "sinner". Appearing on TV for the third time since her case caught the world's attention, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, aged 43, also accused Mina Ahadi, an activist of the German-based International Committee Against Stoning (Icas), of spreading her story around the world. Iran has repeatedly said that it is yet undecided over Mohammadi Ashtiani and that her case is still under review.

Also today, Iranian news agency Press TV has published an article headlined "Iran, Afghanistan boost commercial ties". Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said a joint commercial committee has been established between Iran and Afghanistan that uses a common currency for bilateral dealings, the author reports. The Iranian official made the remark during the third joint Iran-Afghanistan economic commission on Monday. Mottaki underlined the need for further expansion of ties between the two neighbouring countries in various areas, including insurance, banking, transportation, energy and agriculture.

Another article published today by Press TV is entitled "Iran: Jundalla hit with major blow". The author reports that Iran's Police Chief Brigadier General Ismail Ahmadi-Moqaddam says the terrorist Jundallah group has sustained a great blow and lost most of its elements. Through relentless efforts, the Iranian security and police forces have inflicted serious harm on the terrorist Jundallah group as it has lost many of its members and collaborators. There are few remaining elements of the group that the United States and British intelligence services are supporting, the author quoted General
Ahmadi-Moqaddam.