Khatami says uranium suspension predicated on continuation of talks
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Isfahan, March 17, IRNA
Khatami-Nuclear-US
President Khatami speaking here Wednesday night to large contingent of domestic and foreign reporters responded to a question on US president Bush requests on complete cessation of uranium enrichment by Iran said "our request from Bush is to halt the misguided policies vis-a-vie Iran and the region."
"I believe that a large part of the current crisis which has engulfed our region is due to the misguided policies by the US." The danger of nuclear weapons are quite clear, the US which is striving to halt the spread of Weapons Mass Destruction (WMD) should focus on those countries, like Israel which is the most dangerous, and as large stockpiles of the nuclear weapons.
"Putting aside the double-standards by the Washington over the nuclear issue, the international concerns over production of nuclear weapons are legitimate and we also share such preoccupation," Khatami added.
"We are not interested in producing nuclear armaments because our principals and values are against such activities. Looking at what goes on in the world WMd are a serious threats for the world and they do not have a place in our military and political doctrine," Khatami underlined.
Iran has said and the world also concurs with us that access to peaceful nuclear technology is our right. The nuclear know-how is only achieved through the knowledge and expertise of the our scientists, the president stated.
Prior to the Islamic revolution, the US scientist' assessment was to provide to Iran 7,000-10,000 megabit of electricity generated form nuclear powerplants, he said.
Large part of energy throughout the world energy is generated form nuclear energy. "We also have the rights to have access to the energy but, cannot wait for others to deprive us of our own investments." Despite the unjust US pressure in the past couple of years, fortunately in the November's resolution by the Governing Council of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), recognized our rights to engage in peaceful nuclear activities, Khatami added.
The Paris agreements with the three European countries has two aspects: first is the notion that Iran should give objective and verifiable assurances regarding not diverting activities to building nuclear weapons and secondly Europe will put forth assurances for our security and development of our country.
Iran is a member of the Non-Proliferation-Treaty (NPT) and this is adequate that we will not divert our program to building nuclear weapons.
"However, because we wanted to show our cooperation with the IAEA and suspended uranium enrichment, but this will last as long as the talks continue," Khatami cautioned.
Responding a reporter asking if Iran in return of incentives from Europeans would acquiesce to their plans, he said "we will not trade our nuclear technology for something else."
He further rejected any deal if the US offers incentives to Iran if Tehran agrees to scrape its uranium enrichment program.
Foreign ministers of the 25-member European Union Wednesday welcomed the international backing to the European bloc's negotiations with Iran on the nuclear programme and stressed that the process of dialogue with the Islamic Republic will continue.
The EU Council of foreign ministers exchanged views on the state of play with the negotiations currently underway with Iran, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, told a press conference Wednesday night at the end of the meeting.
"This is a very important point. The ministers expressed support to the approach followed by France, Germany and the UK with the EU High Representative (Javier Solana), he said.
The ministers also welcomed the support received from the international community and the statement made recently by the US that they could actively support these negotiations.
"This is very important to know that we have the support of the US, Russia and China," stressed Asselborn.
He noted that further meetings are planned in the weeks ahead with the Iranian side.
"Our hope is that things will continue to move in a positive direction. It is necessary to create a political momentum," he said.
The EU will continue its negotiations with Iran on a Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) as well as on a political document and human rights, said the Luxembourg foreign minister.
EU-Iran negotiations on the TCA are currently being held in Tehran.
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::IRNA No.004 18/03/2005 02:18 --End
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