The French Foreign Ministry said Monday that Italy would be the first among all European countries to be informed on Iran's nuclear talks, when Rome is asked to take part in the discussions.

"Since the beginning of the talks with Iran we have always been careful to inform and consult our European partners, Italy chief among them," said French Foreign Ministry's spokesman Jean- Baptiste Mattei.

The European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana "has been specifically charged with contacts with the Iranians. This is the framework that has been chosen, knowing as well that all the countries of the EU are regularly informed and consulted," said the spokesman.

Italian Foreign Minister Massimo d'Alema said in an interview with the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in its Saturday edition that his country had a right to take part in the talks between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States) plus Germany.

"We Italians are, with Germany, the main trading partners with Iran and engaged on the front line in Lebanon vis-a-vis Hezbollah, " he said, "So we too have the right to be included in the talks on the Iranian issue."

Source: Xinhua