WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration has decided to break with previous policy by sending one of its most senior diplomats to engage Iran's top nuclear official, the White House announced Wednesday.

Undersecretary of State William Burns will head to Switzerland for talks on Saturday.

The move could dramatically alter the three-decade stand-off between the U.S. and Iran. Some western nations and Israel suspect Iran is intent on developing nuclear weapons and want Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment. Iran says it wants to develop nuclear power to produce electricity.

Undersecretary of State William Burns will accompany a European Union delegation during a meeting with Saeed Jalili, Iran's top nuclear official, in Switzerland on Saturday, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. The delegation meeting with the Iranians will be led by the European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana.

The delegates will discuss an incentives program meant to encourage the Islamic republic to drop its nuclear enrichment program, Perino said. Watch Amanpour report on the U.S. decision to send Burns »

The U.S. decision to attend the talks is not "linked in any way" to Iran's missile tests last week, a senior administration official told CNN. The official said the meeting "had been pending before" the tests occurred.

I think meeting with the Iranians could be useful if done by a competent administration, but with Bush choosing to do this immediately after the Iranians do a provocative act it looks like we are rewarding them for their threatening behavior....

I think its safe to assume that Barack would have the commen sense to not give the impression that the Iranians can bully us....

I share your frustration with Bush, Marcia, but he is almost out of there.

BTW: It isnt 'Borack', the incompetent, insensitive, offensive oaf in the movie was 'Borat', and yes, that is a very apt comparison for Bush... the man who said 'Goodby from the worlds largest polluter' and punched the air when saying farwell to world leaders after meeting on global warming.