No preconditions for Iran-5+1 talks: EU

TEHRAN, April 29 (MNA) – European Union foreign policy spokesman Michael Mann said that there are no preconditions for the next round of talks between Tehran and the 5+1 group (the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany), which is scheduled to be held in Baghdad on May 23. “Over the next few weeks our people will talk to the Iranians to work out an agenda for the upcoming meeting. This is an open meeting, so there are no preconditions,” Mann told Trend on April 26. Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said that Tehran will not accept any preconditions for the negotiations, expressing hope that a new round of talks would yield win-win results. Later, he said, “If the West wants to build trust, it should begin with (lifting) sanctions, because it can help speed up the talks reaching a solution.” Speaking about security concerns regarding the Baghdad meeting, Mann said, “All security issues are being taken cared of before we go. We had people in Baghdad last week and there are plenty of facilities there. It is not an issue as far as we are concerned.” “We wouldn’t go there, if there were any security concerns,” he added.