US diplomat to meet Iranian nuclear negotiator this weekend
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A top US diplomat will join colleagues from other world powers at a weekend meeting with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator in a break with past Bush administration policy, the Associated Press has learned.
A senior US official told AP that William Burns, America's third-highest ranking diplomat, would for the first time attend talks with the Iranian envoy in Switzerland aimed at persuading Iran to halt activities that could lead to the development of atomic weapons.
The United States is part of a six-nation effort to get Iran to stop enriching uranium but the Bush administration has shunned previous talks with the Iranians on the matter. The official said Burns was going to the Saturday meeting to demonstrate US commitment to a negotiated deal.