Baghdad talks may help resolve Iranian n-dispute: China

Beijing, May 21 (IANS) China has said that talks scheduled for later this week in Baghdad can help resolve the Iranian nuclear dispute as well as promote peace and stability in the region.

Representatives from Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) and the European Union will hold talks on Iran's nuclear programme Wednesday after the dialogue on the issue was resumed last month in Istanbul, Turkey, Xinhua reported.

Iran has maintained that its nuclear programme is purely for peaceful purposes, but the US-led western nations suspect that Iran is seeking to develop a nuclear weapon.

The Baghdad gathering reflects the willingness of all parties concerned to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiations, said China's Assistant Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu during an interview.

"The Baghdad dialogue, if it goes well, will be of significance to consolidating the positive momentum of dialogue and cooperation, further stabilise the situation of Iran's nuclear issue as well as promote peace and stability of the region," said the Chinese representative to the talks on Iran's disputed nuclear programme.

Ma also called upon all sides to respect one another and tolerate the other sides' concerns and make efforts to create a conducive environment for the talks.