'Rohani, potential chance in P5+1 talks'

A Å“senior Western diplomat” has reportedly said the election of Hassan Rohani as Iranâ„¢s next president can be Å“an opportunity” in the future talks between the P5+1 group of world powers and Iran.

Å“Rohani’s election could provide an opportunity,” the diplomat said on Friday on condition of anonymity, Reuters reported.

Hassan Rohani won an outright victory in Iran’s June 14 presidential election, which was marked by a high voter turnout. He will succeed outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on August 3.

The diplomat added that the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Russia, China, France, Britain, and the United States plus Germany – expect that Iran would Å“soon” appoint a new negotiating team, so the talks can resume Å“as soon as possible,” which echoes earlier comments by the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton.

Å“We (the P5+1) very much hope that will be soon and we look forward to meeting with them as soon as possible,” said Ashton, after a meeting of top officials from the six countries in Brussels on Tuesday.

Iran and the P5+1 group have held several rounds of talks on a range of issues, with the main focus being on Iranâ„¢s nuclear energy program. The two sides wrapped up their latest round of negotiations on April 6 in the Kazakh city of Almaty. An earlier meeting had been held in Almaty on February 26-27.

The US, Israel, and some of their allies have repeatedly charged that Iran may intend to acquire nuclear-weapons capability in the future.

Tehran has categorically rejected the accusation, arguing that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it is entitled to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iranâ„¢s nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence showing that Tehranâ„¢s nuclear energy program has been diverted toward non-civilian objectives.

SF/NN/HJL