Reuters reports: Iran has approached Baghdad to host forthcoming talks with six world powers over its disputed nuclear program, Iraq said on Wednesday, apparently departing from plans for an Istanbul meeting following Iranian frictions with Turkey.
Iranian media quoted Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi as saying the talks could take place in Baghdad or China. He gave no further details.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the April 13-14 negotiations would take place in Istanbul, the first such meeting since January 2011 when the sides did not even manage to agree on an agenda.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari told Reuters an Iranian delegation proposed Baghdad for the talks during a visit to Iraq on Tuesday.
“The proposal came from them. We received a delegation from Iran … Today we are inviting G5 plus one ambassadors to hand over a letter about the proposal,” Zebari said.
A Western diplomat in Baghdad confirmed envoys had been called to Iraq’s foreign ministry for a meeting on Wednesday.
There was no immediate reaction from the six powers – the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany – to the proposal to hold talks in Iraq.
So Turkey is getting snubbed. That’s the price it pays for being a member of NATO. I wonder when the perks associated with NATO membership start getting outweighed by the disadvantages. Turkey had better soon decide exactly where its future lies.