Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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May 17, 2007

US, Iranian Officials to Discuss Iraq
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=178289D:A6F02AD83191E1604779FE32DC9F852C9574F7DCC14957C0 Iranian Foreign
Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says meeting scheduled for May 28 will
focus on security and stability Iran's foreign minister says Tehran
will begin direct talks with the United States about Iraqi security
later this month. From Islamabad, VOA correspondent Benjamin Sand
reports the high-level meeting is not expected to touch on the ongoing
controversy over Iran's nuclear program.









Manouchehr Mottaki

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says the talks will be
held in Iraq on May 28, and will focus exclusively on Iraqi security.

"Negotiation is limited to Iraq, in Iraq, and will start in the
presence of Iraqi officials," he said.

Mottaki told reporters in Islamabad Thursday that the talks will be at
the ambassadorial level, and a more specific agenda will be drawn up
later.

The Iranian diplomat is in Pakistan for a meeting of the Organization
of Islamic Conference.

The U.S.-Iranian meeting has been widely anticipated, but Mottaki is
the first to provide a firm date.



Earlier this week U.S. officials said the talks would be held "soon,"
and would review ways in which Iran could play a more productive role
in Iraq.

Washington has accused Tehran of supporting Shi'ite militants in Iraq
and helping fuel the country's sectarian violence.

The United States also believes Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, and
constitutes a major threat to regional and international security.

Iran denies both assertions, and hard-liners inside the country have
strongly opposed the planned meeting in Iraq.

But on Tuesday, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, gave
his backing for the talks - although he said the negotiations would be
limited to Iraq's internal security situation.

Iraqi officials say the talks are a welcome and important step toward
stabilizing the violence-wracked country.


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