Ashton :\'5 plus 1\' group still committed to diplomacy with Iran

The US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany - representing the \'5+1\' group - reiterated the need to pursue a negotiated solution with Iran over its nuclear issue, European foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton said in a statement Wednesday. “Today, I met with the Political Directors of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States in order to assess the situation concerning the Iranian nuclear issue. We reaffirmed our determination and commitment to seek a diplomatic solution to this issue and focused our discussion on further practical steps to achieve it at an early date,\' she said. Ashton said the group \'remained determined and united\' in its efforts to seek \'a comprehensive, negotiated, long-term solution\' on the Iranian nuclear issue. She reaffirmed \'Iran\'s legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy consistent with the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty).\' Ashton said the 5 plus 1 group was \'ready to engage with Iran in a constructive dialogue on the basis of reciprocity and a step-by-step approach.\' The EU\'s top diplomat urged Iran \'to cooperate fully with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency).\' Iran has repeatedly stated that it was fully cooperating with the Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog. Earlier this month, Tehran welcomed as a \'step forward\' an IAEA report on its nuclear activities, saying it highlighted positive steps taken by Tehran towards \'cooperation and transparency.\' The report \'repeated the very important message that no diversion in the nuclear activities has been seen,\' Iran\'s Ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, was quoted as saying. \'The report also contains new positive issues, including the steps that the Islamic Republic of Iran has taken towards cooperation and transparency,\' he added. Soltanieh stressed the report was \'evidence of Iran\'s transparent and peaceful nuclear activities.\' \'The report explicitly mentions Iran\'s cooperation in providing information and (efforts) to remove ambiguities and answer some questions,\' he said, adding it was \'a step forward.\' The Iranian envoy also rejected western demands for uranium enrichment suspension, saying Iran \'has repeatedly proved according to international documents that such demands have no technical or lawful basis.\'