US participation on Iran meeting shows unity

Jul 17, 2008, 18:43 GMT

Washington - The US decision to send a high level envoy to Saturday's talks with Iran in Geneva shows the United States is unified with its allies to diplomatically resolving the dispute over Tehran's nuclear activities, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday.

'The point that we're making is that the United States is firmly behind this diplomacy, firmly behind and unified with our allies, and hopefully, the Iranians will take that message,' Rice said.

In a departure from long-standing policy, the State Department announced Wednesday Under Secretary of State William Burns, the third-highest US diplomat, will join the EU-led discussions with Iran's nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili.

   Iran is expected to respond to a package of diplomatic and economic incentives offered by five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany last month in exchange for an Iranian pledge to halt uranium enrichment.

Burns' attendance will mark the highest diplomatic meeting involving the two countries in 30 years. The White House and State Department denied suggestions Washington was softening its position on Iran, saying the United States has not backed off its condition Tehran must suspend uranium enrichment in return for negotiations.

Burns will attend the meeting to hear Iran's response and will not hold one-on-one talks with Jalili.

   Burns will be part of the delegation led by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, the lead negotiator with Iran and presented the package of incentives to Iran approved by Security Council powers Britain, China, France, Russia and the US.

   'This is a one-time-only deal. We thought it was a smart step to take,' McCormack said.

   The US severed diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980, following the 1979 storming of the US embassy in Tehran and subsequent 444-day hostage crisis.

Meanwhile, McCormack would not confirm reports that the United States will soon open an iterest section, a diplomatic post, below the status of an embassy in Tehran, which would be the first time in nearly 30 years the United States had a presence in Iran.

'We want to have contact, people-to-people contact with the Iranian people,' McCormack said. 'That is something we have sought, and we've devoted a lot of energy to that, and with some success.'

Britain's Guardian newspaper reported Thursday the United States will open the interest section within a month. McCormack said the subject will not be discussed by Burns in Geneva.