Iran's top nuclear negotiator and the EU's foreign policy chief are to meet in Turkey in an attempt to break the deadlock over Iran's nuclear programme, BBC reports.
It is hoped the meeting between Ali Larijani and Javier Solana will produce an agreement on a new round of formal talks aimed at ending the crisis.
It is their first meeting since the UN imposed sanctions on Iran in March for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment. Iran denies US and EU accusations that it is trying to build nuclear weapons.
Tehran insists its enrichment programme is meant to produce civilian nuclear power.
The UN sanctions involve a partial arms embargo and a travel ban against people and organisations involved in Iran's nuclear programme.
On Monday, the EU agreed a total arms embargo, and added further people to the travel ban list - they are banned from the EU and their assets are frozen.
Flexible approach
On Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeated his view that the sanctions were illegal and vowed not to halt Iran's nuclear programme, which he says is a legitimate right.
After the sanctions were announced in March, Tehran said it would reduce co-operation with UN nuclear inspectors and "adjust" its ties with countries behind the embargo, without specifying what that entailed.
Diplomats now say the US, EU, Russia and China may modify their demands for Tehran to completely dismantle facilities which could produce fissile material for nuclear warheads, news agencies reported on Tuesday. They hoped the more flexible approach could help restart serious talks.
Iran has installed 1,312 centrifuges needed to enrich uranium gas at its Natanz plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency says.
Iranian officials say they need 50,000 centrifuges to generate enough enriched uranium for power generation.
(BBC News, 25/04/2007)