Iran ready to restart nuclear talks, it tells EU

EU foreign affairs chief calls the offer to begin negotiations on Tehran's nuclear programme again a very important development.

TEHRAN // Iran has notified the European Union that it is willing to restart talks about its nuclear programme after November 10.

State media report that Iran's national security council said in a letter sent today to the EU's foreign policy chief that Iran is ready to hold talks "in a place and on a date convenient to both sides".

The negotiations between Iran and a group of six nations that includes the United States foundered a year ago over a deal meant to ensure Iran could only use its stockpile of enriched uranium for fuelling nuclear power stations and not for building bombs.

In Brussels, the EU confirmed it had received the letter. The EU foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, called the offer a very important development.