Ashton arrives in Baghdad for Iran nuke talks
- 12 years ago
A warm welcome for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton as she arrives in Baghdad for high-level nuclear talks with senior Iranian negotiators.
Iraqi foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari and officials greeted the EU chief at the airport.
Ashton is representing six world powers - the United States, Russia, China, Germany, France and Britain - at Wednesday's meeting - only the second since talks resumed in April after a 15-month standoff.
The main goal of the six - known collectively as the P5+1 - representing the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany - is to get Iran to shut down a higher grade uranium program launched in 2010.
Producing such highly enriched material in these quantities shortens the time needed to build a nuclear bomb.
Iran, which has repeatedly ruled out suspending the program, says its nuclear programme is a peaceful bid to generate electricity.
The talks are taking place inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone with around 15,000 police and troops guarding the venue.
Sunita Rappai, Reuters
Iraqi foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari and officials greeted the EU chief at the airport.
Ashton is representing six world powers - the United States, Russia, China, Germany, France and Britain - at Wednesday's meeting - only the second since talks resumed in April after a 15-month standoff.
The main goal of the six - known collectively as the P5+1 - representing the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany - is to get Iran to shut down a higher grade uranium program launched in 2010.
Producing such highly enriched material in these quantities shortens the time needed to build a nuclear bomb.
Iran, which has repeatedly ruled out suspending the program, says its nuclear programme is a peaceful bid to generate electricity.
The talks are taking place inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone with around 15,000 police and troops guarding the venue.
Sunita Rappai, Reuters