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US presence in Iran-Europe talks not necessary, Asefi

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Dec 4, IRNA
Iran-Nuclear-Asefi
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi here Sunday rejected the necessity of US presence in the Iran-Europe nuclear talks saying, "Tehran believes Washington's interference is one of the reasons behind talks becoming more complicated." Asefi was commenting on recent statement made by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei on the necessity of US presence in the talks.

"This is ElBaradei's personal viewpoint and talks with the United States is not on our agenda," he told domestic and foreign reporters.

Asked about the resumption of Iran-Europe talks, he said, "We have reached an agreement with the Europeans on holding talks at the level of senior experts but the exact time and venue have not been determined yet."
The talks will cover Iran's non-diversion in its enrichment program to produce nuclear fuel, he said.

"We do not approach the talks with a bargaining viewpoint. But we pursue in the talks materialization of our rights in having access to peaceful nuclear technology."
In response to a question on remarks made by the Russian and German foreign ministers as well as unconfirmed reports on an enrichment plan outside Iran, he stated, "We have not received such a plan. The Islamic Republic will not accept negotiations with preconditions. Our rights should be observed."
Asefi further said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will pay a visit to Saudi Arabia within a few days to attend an extraordinary summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Mecca.

Replying to a question on Iran's missile purchase from Russia, he said, "We have military cooperation with Russia but what we perform is based on the international rules and regulations. The two sides will not violate international regulations.

"The Islamic Republic has military cooperation with various countries including Russia with respect to its defensive affairs." On a report by Detlev Mehlis, the UN chief investigator in the assassination case of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, and contradictory remarks by witnesses, he said, "Recent remarks by the second witness have made the case really ambiguous, making the report which is based on the observations of the witnesses shaky."
Asefi described as laudable the cooperation of Syrians with the UN fact finding team. "We hope the United Nations will take the recent developments into consideration in its reports and deal with the issue rationally."
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::IRNA No.024 04/12/2005 13:50 --End