Iran should seek take advantage of the recent change in US administration to find a way to resolve questions and concerns about its nuclear programme in a peaceful fashion, urged German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday, dpa reported.
"My impression from Washington is that, after a long freeze, the administration is prepared to enter into a direct dialogue with Iran," said Steinmeier, speaking during the opening speeches of the Munich Security Conference, an annual meeting of defense experts and officials from around the world.
"Let me be clear what this is not about: It is not about blocking a country from its right to peaceful use of atomic energy. Rather, it is about preventing the cover of peaceful work from being used to build up a miltary programme," he added.
Iran is under pressure from the international community over its nuclear programme, which it says is peaceful, but which observers fear is intended to create a nuclear bomb.
Ahead of the conference, Ali Larijani, Iran's speaker of parliament, said that he would "bring the Iranian point of view" to Munich.
Steinmeier also noted that the focus on controllling the spread of nuclear weapons should be not be limited exclusively to Iran.