Geneva talks "will help US learn Iran's position" says Mottaki

Jul 17, 2008, 18:05 GMT

Damascus - The presence of senior US envor William Burns at forthcoming Geneva talks involving Iran the European Union will help Washington get to know Iran's position, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in Damascus Thursday.

'Participation of US envoy William Burns in the meeting between EU foreign minister Javier Solana and Iranian nuclear negotiator Said Jalili helps the US to get to know the Iran's position without mediators,' Mottaki said.

Mottaki, speaking after talks with his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moallem, said he hoped the Geneva talks would end with positive improvements.

Moallem said Syria and Iran would continue exchanging ideas on the Iranian nuclear issue, and Syria would make sure the Geneva talks would not devalue Iran's right to peaceful use of nuclear energy provided by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Mottaki, who did not meet with Damascus-based Palestinian leaders as scheduled before continuing on to Turkey, met earlier with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who recently had talks in Paris with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

While in France, Assad told reporters that Sarkozy had asked him to try to help ease Tehran's nuclear standoff with the West.