ROME - The European Union's foreign policy chief described his meeting with the new Iranian negotiator on Tehran's nuclear program as "constructive" Tuesday and said more talks were planned for the end of November.
It was Javier Solana's first session since the appointment of Saeed Jalili after the resignation of Ali Larijani over the weekend.
Both Iranians took part in Tuesday's session and said Iran would continue in negotiations with the EU representative.
"Negotiation and cooperation is our basic approach," said Jalili.
Larijani said the talks addressed Iran's work with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is conducting an investigation into Iran's past nuclear activities as well as other issues.
"The meeting of today has been constructive," Solana toldreporters. "Very likely we'll have the opportunity of meeting again before the end of the month of November."
The United States and some of its allies accuse Iran of secretly trying to develop atomic weapons and have demanded it halt uranium enrichment, a key step in the production of warheads.
Tehran denies the claim, saying its program is for peaceful purposes including generating electricity.
Hours before Iran's new chief nuclear negotiator made his international debut, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had made clear that there was no room for negotiation on the country's nuclear program.
"Iran will not retreat one iota," he was quoted on state-run television in Tehran as saying during a trip to Armenia.
"We are in favor of talks but we will not negotiate with anyone about our right to nuclear technology."
The departure of the moremoderate Larijani was seen as a victory for Ahmadinejad that could signify Iran might take an even more defiant position.
But Larijani dismissed the speculation about his resignation and alleged differences with Ahmadinejad, saying the replacement was just a matter of a generational change.
"The point is our country is a democracy. There is rotation and circulation of forces and powers," he said. "Jalili is a friend of mine, seven or eight years younger, energetic. ... He will continue doing the work. I will have my full support directed at him."
Larijani also expressed support for Ahmadinejad.
In remarks quoted by the Fars news agency, Ahmadinejad repeated Iran's stance that it would not suspend uranium enrichment as required by the U.N. Security Council, adding, "We are in favor of talks, but we will not negotiate with anyone about our right to nuclear technology."
The Rome talks had been scheduled before Larijani's resignation was announced, and Solana's spokesman, Cristina Gallach, said Larijani was "very engaged" in the session.
She said the meeting was aimed "at creating the right framework to start formal negotiations" on Iran's nuclear program, and cited uranium enrichment as one of the main issues in need of clarification.
The U.N. Security Council has imposed two sets of sanctions on Iran for its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.
The United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, with EU support, agreed last month to delay until November any new U.N. resolution to toughen sanctions, giving Iran more time to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency investigation.
Information for this article was contributed by Alessandra Rizzo and Nasser Karimi of The Associated Press and by Elaine Sciolino of The New York Times.
Front Section, Pages 7 on 10/24/2007