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Iran`s nuclear pointsman says talks with Europeans `successful`

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

hiraz, March 10, IRNA -- Iran`s pointsman on nuclear issues, Hassan 
Rowhani, gave his weight Thursday to ongoing nuclear negotiations 
between the country and the Europeans, describing the talks as 
`successful`. 
His statements came as several Iranian officials lined up in 
recent days to warn that Tehran might be forced to abandon the 
diplomatic process if pressed too far. 
"Our negotiations with the European sides on the country`s nuclear
technology have been successful so far," Rowhani, who is the secretary
of the Supreme National Security Council, said in this southern city. 
The official assured the world again that Iran`s nuclear efforts 
were solely aimed at power generation, blaming a wave of poisonous 
propaganda by western media aimed at creating misgivings about the 
country`s atomic program. 
"The enemies of the Islamic Republic, with their malicious 
propaganda against us, have created fear among the world countries. 
"Basically, we are not after a conquest; rather, we are after 
friendship, good neighborliness as well as detente and we believe 
wars, animosity and skirmishes lead the country to backwardness," 
Rowhani said. 
The official shrugged off American pressures on Iran, including 
its efforts to haul Tehran to the UN Security Council for possible 
sanctions. 
"The Americans, since the opening of Iran`s nuclear dossier over 
the past one year and so, have realized that they cannot achieve 
their desired outcome regarding Iran`s nuclear energy (program) with 
threats and sanctions." 
Iran`s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza stressed Tuesday 
that Tehran was not afraid of being referred to the UN Security 
Council. 
"The rights and interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran stand 
above anything else," he said. 
"The Iranian people regard access to nuclear technology as their 
obvious right and according to surveys carried out among various 
walks of life, an absolute majority of the Iranians approve of it," 
Asefi added. 
He pledged that Iran would `strongly stand against` probable 
pressures as the country battened down the hatches for a new round of 
nuclear negotiations with the Europeans, which he described as `very 
decisive`. 
"The next few days` negotiations are very decisive in Iran`s 
nuclear dossier," Asefi said of the talks which started in Geneva 
Tuesday and were expected to last for three days. 
Asked what will Iran do if the Europeans refuse to accept the 
country`s position, Asefi said, "We will strongly stand against them 
and say `no` to their proposals. 
"We hope this will not be the last round of negotiations and they 
will continue, but this depends on how the Europeans behave." 
The key sticking point in the negotiations is uranium enrichment 
which Tehran has suspended as a confidence-building gesture since 
last November, but the country insists that it cannot be cajoled to 
sustain the suspension for good. 
The Europeans, represented by Germany, France and Britain, have 
been pressing the Islamic Republic on this in return for a package of 
incentives. 
On Monday, a senior parliamentary official warned the Europeans to
drop asking Iran to permanently suspend uranium enrichment or see 
ongoing nuclear negotiations scrapped. 
"If the Europeans maintain their new language on Iran in the next 
month`s negotiations, it will be our last nuclear negotiations with 
them," the head of parliament`s foreign policy commission, Alaeddin 
Boroujerdi, said. 
"In the last round of negotiations between Iran and the Europeans,
the latter adopted a new language, talking about permanent cessation 
of enrichment," he said, adding, `naturally, this is by no means 
acceptable to the Islamic Republic of Iran`. 
On Sunday, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi reiterated Iran`s 
dismissal of challenges to the country`s efforts to master nuclear 
fuel cycle. 
"Access to the technology of nuclear fuel cycle so long as it is 
not aimed at acquiring nuclear weapons while being subject to the 
supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency must not face 
any impediment," he told a forum on nuclear technology held here. 
Asefi hoped Iran would make great achievements in its nuclear 
negotiations. 
"We have had some achievements so far and our nuclear negotiations
over the past few years have never been fruitless," he said. 
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