Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday that European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Javier Solana will meet Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani in Turkey over Iran's nuclear issue.

A Russian technician walks inside the Reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, in southern Iran, February 2006. [AP]

Turkey's semi-official Anatolia news agency quoted diplomatic sources as reporting that the meeting will take place in Turkey on Wednesday, but noted that the venue of the meeting has not become clear yet.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Motaki visited Turkey on April 17. During his talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Motaki said Iran wished that the nuclear program controversy would be solved through diplomatic means, and noted that they would be pleased if Turkey contributed to the process.

Diplomatic sources said the EU approached positively, and Solana told Gul during a phone talk on April 19 that he could meet Larijani. And Gul proposed to hold the meeting in Turkey, they added.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted on March 24 a new resolution with tougher sanctions to pressure Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activities.

Iran, which insists its nuclear program is solely for civilian energy purposes, has refused to heed the Security Council's demand. The United States and some other Western countries have accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of its civilian nuclear programs.