Kharrazi: Europe could not embark on force when talking to powerful Iran
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Iran Tehran, March 1, IRNA -- Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said here Tuesday that the Islamic Republic of Iran is now a powerful country because of its access to nuclear technology and stressed that Europeans themselves realize that they could not embark on force when talking to Iran. Making the remarks in a question and answer session during the opening ceremony of the 15th Persian Gulf conference, he referred to the formation of three working groups in the negotiation process between Iran and the three European states as well as the representative of the European Council and said they focused on the fact that Iran regarded gaining access to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes as its legitimate right. He further pointed out that Iran needed 20 nuclear power plants to generate 20,000 megawatts of electricity it needs. Believing that obstacles on the way of Iran attaining its right should be settled through negotiations, he gave the assurance to European countries that Iran is never after producing nuclear arms. Kharrazi further pointed out that Iran has always voiced its readiness to cooperate with the International Atomic Agency Energy (IAEA) and the European trio of Britain, Germany and France to work out a formula which would permit Iran to continue its enrichment activities while assuring the IAEA that it would not seek any nuclear arms. He went on to express hope that the evaluation of the talks held so far in mid-March would bring positive results because the continuation of the talks depends on the assessment. Stressing that Iran`s legal right to manipulate peaceful nuclear technology could not be replaced by the offered economic incentives, he stressed that the Iranian nation would never let the government or any group deprive it from its lawful right. In answering another question on how Iran is going to get on with Iraq, he said the 1975 pact will work in this regard. Noting that Iran has so far missed no chances to voice its opposition to the occupation of Iraq, the foreign minister noted that the important thing now is to find ways to make Iraqi people the rulers of their own destiny and give them the opportunity to determine their own fate. Saying that the election in Iraq was a great help towards this goal, he hoped the elected government could easily provide security in Iraq by using local forces and make the foreign forces leave Iraq. To another question put forward by a Kuwaiti participant, Kharrazi answered that he thought the American authorities are enough wise to decide not to attack Iran which according to US President George Bush is totally different from Iraq. He said Iran`s policy of cooperation with the Europeans too has so far had bore useful fruits and underlined that Iran is determined to defend its rights. He hoped the remaining issues would be solved soon so that Iran could get its legitimate right to use peaceful nuclear technology. A British participant asked Kharrazi about his opinion towards US policies in the region and its supporting the Zionists, to which he stressed that he thought the interests and security of Israel and continuing the policy of occupying Arab lands by the Zionist regime were the pivot of US policies in the Middle East region. Kharrazi referred to the awareness of regional people as the most important factor in foiling such plots and said the polling by the US institutes proves that the majority of people in the region together with 90 percent of the public opinion in other parts of the world disapprove of US policies in the region. Touching upon reasons behind the US presence in Iraq, he said America was there to gain dominance over regional resources and strengthen Israeli policies. He further believed the US could not afford to maintain its military presence in the country for a long time due to the efforts of the brave and mature Iraqi nation which seeks independence and works to make the foreign forces evacuate their country. Commenting on recent developments in Lebanon and assassination of its former prime minister, he expressed sorrow over the incident and warned the Lebanese nation not to fall in the trap of internal fights and disputes which would ruin their very existence. The 15th International Conference on the Persian Gulf opened here Tuesday at the Institute for Political and International Studies of the Foreign Ministry with President Mohammad Khatami`s message. 80 researchers and intellectuals from 32 world countries are to examine such issues as "The Persian Gulf, security and regional cooperation", "US policies in the Persian Gulf region", "Policies of the international powers in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East", "Economy and energy in the Middle East", and "Political, social and cultural strategies in the Persian Gulf". Russia, the United States, China, Taiwan, Finland, Greece, Britain, Mexico, Iraq, Nigeria, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan, Japan and Egypt were among the countries that had voiced readiness to participate in the conference. Defense Minister Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani is also scheduled to deliver a speech on the second day of the conference. The closing ceremony of the conference will be held on March 2 in the presence of Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. 1424/1432
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