Iran says open to more talks with US on Iraq security

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iran is willing to hold further talks with the United States on improving security in Iraq, Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Wednesday, but Washington reacted coolly to the idea.

Mottaki also said Iran would present a plan on Iraq at a meeting of Iraq's neighbors in Istanbul this weekend but gave no details of what it would propose.

Washington has said it is open to the possibility of fresh talks with its long-time foe, whom it accuses of fuelling Iraq's sectarian violence by arming and funding Shi'ite militias. Iran denies the charge.

"About the readiness of the Americans for a new round of talks ... I respond that we do consider positively this initiative," Mottaki told a joint news briefing in Baghdad with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshiyar Zebari.

It was not clear whether he was referring to ambassadorial level talks or the sub-committee set up by Iran, Iraq and the United States to improve cooperation on Iraqi security. The committee has met only once, in August.

U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said there were no plans for further talks at the ambassadorial level or between U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and any Iranian officials at the Istanbul conference this week.

"It's still a channel that each side could avail itself of," McCormack told reporters in Washington. "But ... thus far it has yielded little to nothing -- if not a worsening of the situation."

Asked what were the chances of Rice meeting Iranians in Istanbul, a U.S. official who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter said: "At this point, I don't see it. I mean, that could change between now and then but there is no plans for it right now."

Zebari, the Iraqi foreign minister, took a more upbeate stance, telling reporters: "I had a positive response from (Mottaki) that the Islamic Republic is ready to continue the dialogue because this is a very useful and important channel for dialogue and helping the situation in Iraq."