Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said on Thursday that nuclear talks with the EU'S foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton were "long and useful" and that both sides have decided to continue the discussions. "Last night, as Lady Ashton said, we had long, useful talks," Jalili said in Istanbul. "We had the chance to go into details. We decided to continue working and keep on our talks." Ashton called the talks "useful" in a statement on Wednesday and said it was time to "reflect on how to go to the next stage of the process".

World powers must still win the confidence of the Iranian people in talks on its nuclear programme, Tehran's chief negotiator said Saturday, urging "appropriate" behaviour from his negotiating counterparts. "Now they must work to gain the confidence of the Iranian people," chief negotiator Saeed Jalili told reporters after the latest round of talks in the Kazakh city of Almaty. He added that the world powers "must show their willingness and sincerity and show appropriate behaviour in the future."

World powers sought a response from Iran Friday over a proposal for ending the decade-long nuclear crisis, even as the Islamic republic struck a tough line over its right to enrich uranium. The world powers will be assessing whether Iran is ready to accept a series of demands that the powers presented at the last such negotiations at the same venue in Kazakhstan in February.

Iran wants its right to enrich uranium recognised when the Islamic republic sits down for talks on its disputed nuclear programme with world powers in the Kazakh city Almaty, Iran's chief negotiator said on Thursday. "We think that they can open up tomorrow's (Friday's) talks with one phrase -- and that is to accept Iran's right, particularly its right to enrich," chief negotiator Saeed Jalili said in an address in Almaty. fpn-zak/sjw/txw