• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Uranium enrichment, Iranian nation`s legitimate right, Kharrazi

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, August 4, IRNA -- Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said on 
Wednesday that uranium enrichment is the Iranian nation`s legitimate 
right in the context of Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). 
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony to 
commemorate eight Iranian diplomats and IRNA reporter assassinated by 
US-backed Taleban at Iranian consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif on August 8, 
1998 when they overpowered the government of ex-president Burhanuddin 
Rabbani, Kharrazi said that the Iranian nation should rest assured 
that their representatives will never compromise on their legitimate 
right to gain access to nuclear technology in line with the 
international convention and that they insisted on those rights in 
their last round of talks with the three European partners in Paris 
last week. 
"We will continue negotiations with the European countries, the 
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and members of Non-Aligned 
Movement (NAM) to clarify our programs to them and make it clear 
that Iran needs nuclear energy to go ahead with its economic 
development plan," Kharrazi said. 
"We will lobby for our rights in the international community to 
deal with the negative atmosphere our enemies have created against 
Iran," Kharrazi said. 
"We will never allow the enemy to trample upon our legitimate 
rights enshrined in the international conventions." 
Asked about the upcoming meeting of IAEA Board of Governors in 
Vienna in September and whether they will refer Iranian file to the 
United Nations Security Council, he said, "We should wait and see. 
We will not allow Iranian file to be referred to the Security 
Council." 
"We will enlighten the world community about Iran`s nuclear 
program and I hope that we will defuse the propaganda campaign against
Iran," he said. 
He said that the United States supported Taleban to take over 
Afghanistan. The US support for Taleban escalated extremism and 
terrorism in the region. 
Iran had been opposed to Taleban and they assassinated Iranian 
diplomats as soon as they seized control of Mazar-i-Sharif, he said. 
Iran has always been against extremism and favored moderation, 
believing that through diplomatic means and dialogue crises would 
be resolved and at the same time the Islamic values will be respected,
Kharrazi said. 
1416/1412