A spokesman for European Union foreign-policy chief Catherine Ashton announced, Monday evening, that diplomats from Europe and Iran will meet at the end of the month in Istanbul to discuss the Tehran government's nuclear development program. The Islamic Republic denies claims by the Israel and the international community that the aim of the program is to develop an atomic weapon.
The spokesman said thatthe discussionswill focus ontryingto bridge thegaps between the parties.A week ago,talks, focusing ontechnicalissues,were held in Istanbul between low-level representatives of thesix world powersand Iranin Istanbul.