• Military

• WMD Menu                           

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

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

IRAN CAUTIOUSLY CONTINUES DIALOG WITH EUROPE

RIA Novosti

TEHRAN, March 11 (RIA Novosti) -Iran will continue talks with the European Union regarding its nuclear programs, provided the Paris agreements reached late last year are observed, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Hassan Rouhani said.

"The session held in Paris in November 2004 provides for the fulfillment of the serious terms set for Iran and the EU and we attach very much importance to it," Mr. Rouhani told journalists Friday.

"If we see positive movement in the negotiating process and fulfillment of the said agreements, Iran will continue dialog with the Europeans. If not, the Islamic republic will opt for a different road," he said.

In line with the Paris agreements, Iran has suspended uranium enrichment work and the EU pledged to cooperate with Tehran on security and policy and transfer peaceful nuclear technologies to Iran.

Mr. Rouhani said that the country's oil and gas reserves are running out, which is the reason why Iran wants to produce nuclear fuel on its own.

"The Islamic Republic is in need of energy and we have to rely on our own emerging fuel potential. The oil and gas reserves in Iran are coming to an end and we are making efforts to produce nuclear fuel independently," he said.

"Our country cannot keep buying equipment and erect nuclear power plants with the help of foreign countries because we need nuclear fuel for the next 50 to 60 years," Mr. Rouhani said.

"We have adopted a 20-year program for economic development and are going to systematically implement it," added the secretary of the Iranian security council.