Jalili-Solana-Talks
The first round of talks between Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and the EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana is to start shortly here on Saturday.

Iran's representatives in the talks include Jalili, Deputy Iran's Supreme National Security Council for international affairs Ali Baqeri, and Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Safari are taking part.

Also present will be representatives from Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States -- the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- and Germany.

US Undersecretary of State William Burns will attend the talks.

On Thursday, Solana and Burns met in Brussels in preparation for the weekend talks.

It will be the first time that the United States, which severed relations with Iran in 1980 after the Islamic revolution, will be present in the negotiations.

On Friday, Jalili expressed optimism that the talks would be constructive, provided Washington came with the right approach.

"What is important for us is that with what approach they come to the talks. If it is with a constructive approach, and that they refrain from past mistakes, then for sure we will have constructive talks," he said before leaving Tehran for Geneva.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki welcomed as "positive" the US presence at the Geneva talks.

The US participation is "a new positive approach," Mottaki said after talks in Ankara with his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan.

"I hope this progress (in the format) will also have impact on the content of the talks," he said.

"If the negotiations continue in this way, I hope there will be a positive outcome."