April 5, 2013

(JTA) — Iran said it has made a “comprehensive proposal” to “establish a new bedrock for cooperation” in resumed talks about the Iranian nuclear program between Tehran and six world powers.

The announcement by Ali Baqeri, deputy head of the Iranian delegation, came after the opening session in Almaty, Kazakhstan on Friday of talks.

Baqeri, who spoke as Iranian officials took a break for lunch and prayers, did not offer any details, the New York Times reported.

He suggested that Iran had more than met demands from American and European officials that his country offer a concrete show of willingness to address international concerns about its nuclear program.

“These steps are referred to as confidence-building measures, but they are part of a comprehensive set of measures,” he said at a news conference at a central Almaty hotel. 

At the last round of talks in February, the international negotiators — the United States, Britain, France, German, Russia and China – offered a modest easing of international sanctions if Iran takes steps to limit its own supply of dangerous enriched uranium. That proposal would require Iran to shut its enrichment plant at Fordow.

While Iran says its nuclear program is exclusively for civilian purposes, American, Israeli, European and other western officials suspect that Tehran is seeking the technology for nuclear weapons.

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