German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier opened talks
in Berlin Monday with his Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki, with nuclear
issues on the agenda.
The atmosphere seemed cool as the two men briefly posed for pictures before the
talks. No public appearance was scheduled afterwards. A German spokesman said
ahead of the meeting in Berlin that Mottaki had asked for the talks.
Steinmeier would appeal to Tehran to make a constructive response to an offer
made in June by world powers over Iran's controversial nuclear programme, the
spokesman added.
"Our offer is on the table. We hope Iran will give a constructive
answer," Jens Ploetner said.
About 50 members of the banned Iranian opposition group National Resistance
Council demonstrated outside the Foreign Ministry in Berlin against the visit.
Mottaki charged that their organization had conducted terrorist attacks and
said its members should be arrested and put on trial by the international
criminal court.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has recently reported that Iran
is continuing to enrich uranium, despite sanctions and condemnation by the
UN Security Council.
The IAEA said hundreds of new centrifuges had been set up at the development
site in Natan since May. Western nations suspect Iran is developing nuclear
weapons.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Iran's chief
nuclear negotiator, Saeid Jalili, have met over the dispute.
Steinmeier would underline how serious the issue was for the European Union and
for other powers participating in attempts to compel Iran to abandon aspects of
its programme, in particular the enriching of uranium.
"Our offer is serious," Ploetner said, adding that if there was no
positive response from Tehran, the alternative was further action through the
UN security council.
Germany has joined the five permanent members of the security council in
so-called E3+3 talks with Tehran.
The world powers have offered Tehran comprehensive economic
and political cooperation, including providing it with nuclear fuel for its
planned power stations, in return for a halt to what they see as Iranian moves
towards making nuclear weapons, dpa reported.