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Ambassador: Iran's nuclear facilities open to inspections

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Madrid, Feb 8, IRNA
Iran-Cuba-Ambassador
Iran's nuclear facilities have been the most open and transparent facilities to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Iran's ambassador to Cuba Ahmad Edrissian in Havana on Wednesday.

"Over the past three years, about 1,500 man/day inspections have een made to Iran's nuclear facilities and the facilities have been constantly monitored by the cameras installed by the International Atomic Energy Agency," said Edrissian in a press conference.

Edrissian said despite all the confidence-building measures, a group of the European states and the US are opposing Iran's using nuclear fuel to produce energy and they are accusing us of producing mass destruction equipment.

He said the worst is certain countries' opposition to Iran's access to peaceful nuclear energy despite their enjoying nuclear bombs themselves. The countries, he added, are constantly threatening to use the weapons against the countries, that are resisting their colonialist policies.

The diplomat accused EU3 and the US of politicizing Iran's nuclear dossier and said the states have turned into bases with the mission to obstruct countries' progress.

He said the Islamic Republic of Iran is not responsible for the ongoing row on nuclear issue. "Tehran has been in talks with European states for two years on the issue but failed to gain any satisfactory agreement as a result."
"Western states' time killing in the period marks an insult to Iran," noted the diplomat.

Edrissian said reference of Iran's case to the UN Security Council at whatever way means an attempt to undermine international institutions and their abuse by the west to force the developing states.

Ruling out western allegations, Edrissian said, "In Iran's military doctrine, nuclear weapons have no position because Islam and Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution have announced that any sort of application of such a weapon is religiously forbidden." He said Iran is determined to continue with its peaceful nuclear program despite opposition of the European troika and the US. "That's our decision and western states should know the Middle Ages is gone." Edrissian said Iran is an IAEA member and a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Other proofs and documents also substantiate Tehran's motivation to refuse application of nuclear energy for biological purposes, he added.

The diplomat also thanked Cuban government and leader Fidel Castro for defending Iran's right for peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Referring to Tehran-Havana "very good and extensive" relations and their common stances in the political and international issues such as campaign against terrorism, south-south cooperation and the need for promotion of the Non-Aligned Movement, Edrissian said relations between Tehran and Havana are in the excellent level.

Elsewhere in the interview, Edrissian criticized west's false human rights and democracy slogans and its double-standards in that concern.

He said publication of offensive caricatures, deemed insulting to holy prophet of Islam, in European press signs West's disrespect for human dignity and others' beliefs and values.

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