Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said on Thursday Iran would meet the European Union (EU) troika of Britain, France and Germany prior to a meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog on Iran's nuclear issue, the Interfax news agency said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is to hold a session on Monday to discuss whether to report Iran to the UN Security Council over its nuclear program.

Britain, France and Germany have represented the EU in the past in nuclear negotiations with Iran.

Iran and Russia held their third round of talks on Wednesday on Moscow's offer to host Iran's uranium enrichment activity on Russian territory, but the talks made no breakthrough.

Larijani said no date has been set for the next round of consultations with Moscow on its proposal.

Western countries have backed the Russian plan, saying it could help allay concerns over Iran potentially producing weapons-grade nuclear material. Iran says its nuclear work is designed only to generate power.

Larijani said Tehran wants its nuclear issue to be tackled within the IAEA framework. "It would be improper and fallacious to pass Iran's nuclear dossier from the IAEA to the UN Security Council," he said.

The United States' insistence on handing Iran's dossier to the UN Security Council hinders the Russian proposal, the chief negotiator said.

Source: Xinhua