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Burns to P5+1

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns will represent Washington at the meeting of the P5+1 in London tomorrow, spokesman Robert Wood said Tuesday. "Bill Burns, our under secretary for political affairs, will represent us at this P-5+1 meeting, and it’s obviously to chart the way forward in terms of dealing with Iran’s ...

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns will represent Washington at the meeting of the P5+1 in London tomorrow, spokesman Robert Wood said Tuesday.

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns will represent Washington at the meeting of the P5+1 in London tomorrow, spokesman Robert Wood said Tuesday.

"Bill Burns, our under secretary for political affairs, will represent us at this P-5+1 meeting, and it’s obviously to chart the way forward in terms of dealing with Iran’s nuclear program," Wood said at a press conference Tuesday. "Hopefully, I can provide you a better readout after the meeting tomorrow."

UPDATE: The NSC’s Puneet Talwar is in London with Burns for the meeting, The Cable hears.

UPDATE II: Ha’aretz/news wires report: "Six major powers said on Wednesday they would invite Iran for talks to seek a diplomatic solution to the dispute over its nuclear program. The United States, Russia, China, France, Germany and Britain said in a statement they would ask European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana to invite Iran to a meeting ‘so that together we may find a diplomatic solution to this critical issue.’" In a speech broadcast live on Iranian television Wednesday, the article further reports, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said, "The Iranian nation welcomes a hand extended to it should it really and truly be based on honesty, justice and respect." He also told the Iranian nation he had good news, and is expected to announce tomorrow Iran’s completion of the uranium enrichment cycle.

Laura Rozen writes The Cable daily at ForeignPolicy.com.

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