Iran encouraged to show nuke 'flexibility'

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ALMATY, Kazakhstan, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- An EU spokesman said there may be offers on the table for Iran to "show some flexibility" with its nuclear program.

Representatives from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, Germany and Iran met this week in Kazakhstan for nuclear negotiations.

Some in international community suspect Iran is pursuing the technology needed to manufacture a nuclear weapon, an allegation the Iranians deny.

Before leaving for the summit, Iran's nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said Western leaders should have "a new strategy free from previous mistakes," the semiofficial Fars News Agency reports.

Multilateral negotiations ended in July with few breakthroughs. International inspectors visited Iran this year but were unable to allay their concerns about potential nuclear work at the Parchin military complex outside Tehran.

EU spokesman Michael Mann was quoted by the BBC as saying talks were held in the spirit of compromise.

"We've put some proposals forward which will hopefully allow Iran to show some flexibility," he said.

A headline from Iran's official news agency, IRNA, states that Tehran has taken the "upper hand in Almaty nuclear talks."

Negotiations are to resume Wednesday.