Top nuclear negotiator Rowhani to go to parliament Wednesday
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Tehran, April 16, IRNA
Nuclear-Iran-Rowhani
Top nuclear negotiator Hassan Rowhani will go to the parliament Wednesday to brief MPs on the latest developments in Iran's nuclear dossier, an MP announced here Saturday.
"The secretary of the Supreme National Security Council will attend the parliament session on the MPs' request to brief them on the latest state of the nuclear technology and the negotiations held thus far," Hamid-Reza Haj-Babaie said.
"Parliament deputies will also question Mr. Rowhani about the state of Iran's nuclear dossier and the Islamic Republic of Iran's policies in the next meeting with the three European countries," he added.
Iran has sounded upbeat ahead of the planned nuclear negotiations with the Europeans in Geneva on April 19, which are expected to examine Tehran's proposal to maintain a pilot centrifuge for uranium enrichment on a small scale.
The head of the Iranian delegation, Sirous Nasseri, has said that the two sides will discuss technical matters relating to the principles and the framework of the Islamic Republic's proposal.
"If the negotiations reach a conclusion, the outcome will be enough for presentation to the steering committee. Otherwise, it is not out of question to hold another session in order to reach an understanding ahead of the committee's meeting in London on April 29," he told IRNA reporter Wednesday.
President Mohammad Khatami says the two sides have made significant progress in their negotiations.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi sounded optimistic over chances for the two sides to reach a tangible outcome on giving definite guarantees in the next round of negotiations.
"Today, almost a majority of the European countries have recognized Iran's right to having peaceful nuclear technology and the only issue is definite guarantees, on which we will reach a conclusion in the next negotiations," he said.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman refused to disclose details of a plan offered by Iran as part of the country's proposal to reach breakthrough in the standoff, but reiterated Tehran's determination to produce nuclear fuel by its own.
"Any plan offered by Iran is based on the principle that we never give up uranium enrichment and that the suspension of enrichment is temporary and voluntary," Asefi said.
Khatami said that the two sides have taken steps forward, citing the Europeans' 'very open' reaction to Iran's proposal, particularly that of France.
"I hope that during the April 29 meeting that, thanks to French support, but equally due to the welcome given to the overall plan, we will be able to make even more substantial progress," he said in Paris after meeting with French President Jacques Chirac.
Khatami said the two sides were closer to a settlement over Tehran's right to develop nuclear power.
On Tuesday, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, was quoted as having expressed optimism that he would eventually be able to tell Tehran that it has the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
EU diplomats were quoted Wednesday as saying that French President Jacques Chirac has been pushing the EU to drop its refusal to consider letting Iran enrich uranium.
"Jacques Chirac ... is the one who's taking the Iranian proposal under consideration," Reuters news agency quoted an EU3 diplomat, adding the French president had the final say on foreign policy matters.
Other EU3 diplomats have confirmed Chirac had urged his negotiators to consider Iran's proposal, it added.
Iran says its nuclear program is aimed at power generation in the face of US accusations that the program may be a cover to build atomic weapons, a charge Tehran vehemently denies.
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::IRNA No.079 16/04/2005 19:54 --End
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