The request was made on Friday by European Union deputy foreign policy chief Helga Schmid in a telephone conversation with the deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Baqeri.
Schmid is the number two of EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who represents the P5+1 group (the United States, France, Russia, Britain, China, and Germany).
Baqeri reaffirmed that Iran is ready to attend the long-awaited talks and asked the P5+1 group to remain committed to the date agreed upon for talks in January.
Earlier on Friday, China called for the resumption of talks between Iran and the P5+1 group in order to end the standoff between the West and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear energy program.
China has repeatedly affirmed Iran's right to have a peaceful nuclear energy program.
Iran and the P5+1 group have held several rounds of talks with a focus on Iran’s nuclear energy program. The last round of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group was held in Moscow in June 2012.
Tehran has announced that it welcomes the fact that the P5+1 group is ready to hold constructive talks with Iran.
The United States, Israel, and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.
Iran rejects the allegations, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it is entitled to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence showing that the Iranian nuclear program has been diverted to nuclear weapons production.
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The six major powers of the P5+1 group have called for the postponement of nuclear talks with Iran to February, saying they are not ready to negotiate with the Islamic Republic this month.
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