POTSDAM, Germany, June 7 (UPI) -- Javier Solana, the European Union's foreign policy chief, said Wednesday he was optimistic that a turnaround in the nuclear impasse with Iran can be reached.
While the issue was far from resolved, he said he was "more optimistic today than... yesterday."
Solana spoke at the Potsdam-based operation headquarters of the EU's mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, only a day after he delivered in Tehran a package of incentives aimed at convincing the Islamic Republic to halt nuclear enrichment and return to the negotiation table.
Solana said Tuesday's meeting in Tehran was "very good" and held in a "constructive mood." He added the package offered was "broader than before."
Solana refused to give any details what incentives and possible penalties the package contains, but later said one prerequisite for negotiations to take place was for Iran to halt uranium enrichment.
As for later enrichment, he said, "after the negotiations, we will see."
"The Iranian people and the Iranian leaders now have the main responsibility to analyze" the package, and they should be able to do so without any pressure from the West, he said.
"Now I am awaiting their analysis (of the proposal)," he said. "I hope they will call back soon."
Solana earlier in the day met with Chancellor Angela Merkel and briefed her on the new developments.
The package of incentives, authored by Germany, France and Britain last week, was signed off by the United States, Russia and China.
Iran, under its international treaty obligations, has the right to enrich uranium for its nuclear energy program. But the West believes Tehran is using the process to secretly and illegally build nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies.
In an unexpected move last week, Washington offered to end its nearly three-decade long objection to holding direct talks with Iran, and Iran's top nukes negotiator, Ali Larijani, Tuesday cautiously praised the new proposals, saying they contained some "positive steps."
