Major World Powers to Discuss Iran Issue

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed cautious optimism on Wednesday that a meeting of major world powers in Vienna would help secure a peaceful end to a long-running row over Iran?s nuclear program, the Reuters news agency reported.

Foreign Ministers from Russia, the United States, China, France, Britain and Germany will on Thursday discuss in the Austrian capital a package of measures aimed at dissuading Iran from pursuing nuclear know-how with arms potential.

?We both hope that as a result of tomorrow?s meeting a path will have been opened up to a political solution,? Lavrov told a joint news conference with Turkey?s Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul during a visit to Ankara. ?We have a very important chance to obtain a solution. What is important right now is for all parties to avoid taking steps which could put the process at risk,? he said.

Gul said he was more optimistic after his talks with Lavrov about the chances for a peaceful resolution of the Iran crisis than he had been previously. He did not elaborate.

Lavrov and Gul were speaking shortly before U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced that the United States, in a key policy shift, would open talks with Iran if Tehran suspended its uranium enrichment and atomic fuel reprocessing activities.