EU envoy: IAEA to visit nuke plant soon

GENTHOD, Switzerland — A senior EU envoy says Iran has pledged to open its recently revealed uranium enrichment plant to U.N. inspectors perhaps in the next few weeks.

Javier Solana, the EU’s top foreign policy official, also confirmed Iran and six world powers will hold a new set of talks on international concerns about Tehran’s nuclear program and other issues raised by the Islamic Republic.

He spoke Thursday after the seven-nation meeting outside Geneva. The U.S. and Iran sat down for bilateral talks during a break, a significant departure from past U.S. policy of not negotiating with Tehran.

Solana said the next seven-nation negotiations will be in October.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

GENTHOD, Switzerland (AP) — A senior U.S. official has met Iran’s top atomic negotiator for face-to-face talks — the first such encounter in years of big-power attempts to persuade Tehran to freeze a program that could create nuclear weapons.

The meeting took place in Switzerland, where the U.S. and five world powers also sat down with an Iranian representative to discuss Iran’s nuclear program and other issues.

As the talks ended, a diplomat said another meeting between the world powers and Iran would take place, without announcing a date. In Tehran, Iran’s state news agency IRNA says that meeting would happen by the end of October.

Thursday’s talks with Iran about its nuclear program appeared to be concrete proof of President Barack Obama’s commitment to engage Iran directly on nuclear and other issues — a sharp break from previous policy under the Bush administration.