'5+1' group still eyeing diplomacy with Iran: DPA

Berlin, July 3, IRNA -- Diplomats from United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany said after meeting at EU headquarters in Brussels that they are still pursuing a negotiated solution with Tehran over its nuclear program, German press agency DPA said Friday.

Iran is urged to give "an early reply" to an invitation to jump-start talks on its nuclear program, representatives of the so-called "5 plus 1" group were quoted as saying on Friday.

According to a statement read by the EU official chairing the talks, the 5+1 "looks forward to an early reply from the Iranian nuclear negotiator, Dr. Saeid Jalili, to (EU foreign policy chief) Catherine Ashton's letter proposing the rapid resumption of talks."

The 5+1 meeting comes only a few days after the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country would be ready to resume nuclear talks in late August.

He also called for the inclusion of Turkey and Brazil in the nuclear talks, after both countries brokered a nuclear fuel swap deal for Tehran's medical reactor.

However, the DPA quoted a senior EU official as saying that the two nations would not be asked to attend the talks, at least "not at this stage."/end