Iran's chief nuclear negotiator expressed hope for "good and constructive" talks as he left Tehran today for a meeting in Switzerland on the country's disputed nuclear programme.
Iranian media said Saeed Jalili was asked about the expected presence of a senior US envoy at tomorrow's talks.
"If they enter [negotiations] with a constructive approach and by avoiding previous mistakes, we can definitely have good and constructive negotiations," Jalili was quoted as saying.
"What is important from our view point is with what approach the other side is having a presence in negotiations," he said according to ISNA news agency. "The kind of approach is more important than which people would attend the talks."
The United States said on Wednesday it was sending an envoy to Geneva to join nuclear talks with Iran for the first time, to underline to the Islamic Republic and others that Washington wanted a diplomatic solution to the impasse.
Senior US diplomat Williams Burns will join European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana and officials from Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China for the meeting.
The powers are seeking a more detailed Iranian response to their enhanced offer of financial and diplomatic incentives to halt secretive nuclear activity that could yield atom bombs.
Iran, the world's fourth-largest oil exporter, says its nuclear work is solely aimed at producing electricity.
Tensions with Iran have intensified, however, particularly since Tehran tested missiles last week, alarming Israel and pushing up oil prices. Washington responded to the tests by saying it would defend its allies against any possible attacks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said today he saw almost no possibility of Israel or the United States attacking his country over its disputed atomic programme.
"The possibility of such an attack is almost zero," Mr Mottaki said, via a translator, in an interview with Turkish broadcaster NTV.
"[Israel] is still going through the post-effects of its defeat in Lebanon," he said, referring to the 2006 war Israel with Hizbullah.
Mr Mottaki also said the US was not in a position to attack Iran because it would be financially too costly.
Reuters