EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Sunday he hopes for an early resumption of negotiations with Iran following the UN Security Council's decision to impose new sanctions aimed at forcing Teheran to bring its nuclear program into line with international demands. Solana told reporters he was seeking immediate talks with Iran's top negotiator Ali Larijani. "We want to get in touch with Dr. Larijani, this morning if we can, to try to find a route that would allow us to go into the negotiations," Solana told reporters on the sidelines of a European Union summit. "The door is open for negotiations, let's see if together we can go through."

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He said talks with Larijani would seek to "prepare a route that leads to a negotiated solution to this conflict." Solana issued a statement Saturday night, immediately after the UN resolution was passed in New York, that confirmed the continued "twin track" approach by the Europeans, US and other world powers. That involves gradually imposing tougher sanctions if Iran fails to halt uranium enrichment but offering negotiations on economic and political advantages for Iran if it falls into line. "We want to be as generous as possible," Solana said. Solana led largely unsuccessful international diplomatic efforts for months to persuade Iran to stop uranium enrichment before the UN first decided to impose sanctions in December. He last met with Larijani at a security conference last month in Munich, and the two have spoken once on the telephone since then.

Solana seeks negotiations with Iran

Says that "Door is open...let's see if together we can go through."