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FM: IAEA should not make situation more complicated

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, March 10, IRNA -- Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said here 
on Wednesday that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 
should keep on its commitments towards Iran and avoid making the 
situation more complicated. 
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the cabinet meeting, 
he added that if Europe fails to fulfill its commitments, the 
cooperation process would stop. 
Regretting the improper decisions that might be taken by the 
IAEA board of governors, he underlined that Iran would react to such 
decisions. 
Concerning the pressures exerted on IAEA board of governors by 
the US, he noted that the US officials use every opportunity for 
pressurizing Iran. 
"Despite our closest cooperation with the IAEA and holding 
constant dialogues with the Europeans, the US strategy has remained 
unchanged. Unfortunately, the agency is also at times being 
influenced by the US," he added. 
Turning to a letter addressed to IAEA, he said, "We had 
stressed that both sides should tend to cooperate. Once we take 
positive measures, we expect similar steps to be taken by IAEA to 
make the process flow, given that things would naturally won`t 
proceed well without close cooperation." 
Kharrazi noted that Iran is certainly entitled to use 
nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and stressed the country 
volunteered to temporarily suspend enrichment of uranium to build up 
confidence in mutual ties. 
He said that negotiations between Iran and other countries 
about the IAEA decisions are part of the political talks held with 
the European and other countries that play a role in the agency 
meeting. 
In response to a question by a reporter as to whether Majlis 
Speaker Mehdi Karroubi`s visit to France was in line with the same 
issue, he replied, "Karroubi made a stop over in France on his way to 
Senegal to attend the inter-parliamentary meeting in Dakar." 
Stressing that the issue is not only the concern of Iran, but 
that of Europe as well, he called on the three European countries 
whose foreign ministers had attended the Tehran conference to keep 
on their commitments if they are determined to follow up the issue 
and achieve a positive result. 
"The European states should resist the unreasonable pressures 
exerted by the US, or else there would be no point for us to 
continue such cooperation," he added. 
Referring to Iraq`s interim constitution, the minister 
reiterated that though it is provisional, there are reasons to be 
concerned about it, which should be taken into view in drawing up 
the law. 
"The constitution should provide for stability, security and 
integrity of Iraq. Meanwhile, so far as a move has been launched to 
provide the preliminary grounds for transfer of power to the Iraqi 
people and it is of significance," he noted. 
The official said that Iran-Iraq borders have been closed as a 
consequence of the recent tragic events in Karbala and Baghdad and 
the uncontrollable border-crossing by Iranian pilgrims without 
obtaining passports and other required documents. 
"The government wants to let Iranians go on pilgrimage to the 
neighboring Iraq, but this requires some arrangements and 
keeping order," he added. 
Kharrazi hoped that a new organization would take charge of 
organizing such pilgrimage visits. Referring to the responsibility of 
Iran`s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization in this respect, he looked 
forward to the proper handling of the issue in a much broader scope, 
given its wide experiences. 
MP/212 
End