BRUSSELS (Reuters/Bloomberg) - The European Union hopes talks next week with Iran's nuclear negotiator will be the start of a re-engagement with the Tehran government that will eventually lead to results, an EU source said on Friday.

EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton will meet Saeed Jalili in Geneva on Dec. 6-7 for the first high-level discussions with Iran since Oct. 2009.
""This is an important meeting; we've waited a long time for it. It's not an important meeting because it will solve problems instantly or produce instant results. We hope it will produce a re-engagement with Iran ... which over time will produce results,"" the source told reporters, according to Reuters.
Ashton has the backing of the EU's Britain, France and Germany along with the United States, Russia and China to hold talks with Iran.
In addition, China hopes participants of talks over Iran’s nuclear program in Geneva will have a “constructive attitude” and help generate progress, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, according to Bloomberg.
Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi held a telephone conversation Friday with Ashton, the ministry said in a statement on its website. Both agreed to contribute to progress in negotiations, it said.