Iran's new chief nuclear negotiator has said further talks can resolve its atomic standoff with the West, despite Tehran’s insistence on not giving up its plans to develop a full nuclear fuel cycle.‘‘Iran deems it a principle to continue talks and it accepts negotiation as the right means of proceeding,’’ Ali Larijani, installed as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on Monday, told the Sharq daily in an interview published on Tuesday.European diplomats have expressed concern that Larijani, a conservative close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will adopt a tougher line on the nuclear issue than his predecessor Hassan Rohani.Larijani takes over the nuclear portfolio with Iran in the international spotlight for resuming uranium conversion at its Isfahan plant on August 8, after rejecting an EU offer of political and economic incentives conditional on its giving up a large part of its atomic programme.But Larijani said a solution to the dispute could be found.‘‘We can reach a conclusion with a win-win situation defined for both sides.. We should try to solve the problem in a friendly way,’’ he said.Iranian officials have said they will never suspend work at the Isfahan plant again and Tehran now wants to discuss resuming uranium enrichment at its facility in Natanz.‘‘Natanz is a part of our fuel cycle and we insist on it. However, it should pass the channel of negotiations,’’ Larijani said.About 1,000 Iranian students gathered at the Isfahan nuclear plant on Tuesday to stage a demonstration in support of Iran’s nuclear programme. The students linked arms outside the facility and read a statement that condemned last week’s IAEA resolution and called on Iranian officials to push ahead with their atomic plans.‘‘The movement of Iranian students insists on a complete resumption of nuclear activities as we deem it impossible to bargain,’’ the statement said.
