US-Iran talks to focus on Iraq violence
US and Iran's talks will centre on the security situation in Iraq
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Tuesday, 24, Jul 2007 09:59
US envoy to Iraq Ryan Crocker will meet with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Zaemi-Qomi today to discuss the ongoing violence in the troubled region.
The talks will be only the second bilateral meeting between the two countries in 27 years after an earlier meeting, again over Iraq, in May this year.
According to the US, the talks in Baghdad will only be about the security situation in Iraq rather than other ongoing differences between the two countries.
State department spokesman Sean McCormack said: "It's designed to see if Iran will change its behaviour and we can talk about issues related to Iraq.
"We think that this kind of engagement is important, that at the very least, we can have a direct message to the Iranians that if they truly do want a more stable, secure [and] prosperous Iraq, they're going to have to change their behaviour."
He added that since May's meeting, the US has seen no substantial change in Iran's actions.
"We haven't seen really any appreciable change in their behaviour, certainly not for the positive," Mr McCormack said.
"We had gone into this with the thought in mind that perhaps more than one meeting would be required."
Although the US has pointed the finger at Iran for involvement in the ongoing insurgency in Iraq, the Iranian government blames the continued US troop presence for facilitating a civil war in the country.
Mr McCormack added that Iran wanted a stable Iraq and that the US supported this along with Iranian participation in making the country more peaceful.