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Larijani-Solana talks to determine path of nuclear issue: Asefi

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Sept 3, IRNA
Iran-Asefi-Nuclear
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi, here Sunday said that the future talks between Iran's top nuclear negotiator and EU High Representative for Common Security and Foreign Policy Javier Solana will determine the future path of the country's nuclear issue.

In response to a question on the recent report of the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed ElBaradei, he said that the report proved that there is no deviation from peaceful path in Iran's nuclear activities.

At this week's briefing, he referred to the fact that enrichment has not been suspended by Iran and said that this is not a new point, given that it was declared earlier that no suspension would take place.

Asefi said that suspension of uranium enrichment by Iran in the past was a voluntary measure and that it was stopped, given Europe's non-compliance with its commitments.

He referred to another point mentioned by ElBaradei in his report concerning Iran's cooperation with IAEA inspectors and said that his report could have been better.

"The US has made use of the report in its own interests. This is while the Europeans view on the issue is quite distinct from that of the Americans and Europe believes that the matter can be pursued through talks.

"Iran's response to the so called 5+1 group's package of incentives was also in line with such a view that holding talks is the only way leading to a solution," he added.

Concerning continued blockade of Lebanon, he said that the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was told by Iranian officials that the Zionist regime has violated all international norms.

"We told Annan that the United Nations Security Council is bound to fulfill its duties in this respect," he added.

About the presence of British forces at Iraq's common border with Iran, he said that Iran believes that such a presence is causing problems.

"If the foreign troops stationed at common borders between Iran and Iraq cause any problem, Iranian armed forces will certainly defend the country's borderline," he said.

Asefi assessed Annan's talks with Iranian officials as highly positive and said that the secretary general has a favorable approach to various issues.

"Annan believes that the issue should be finalized through talks," he said.

Stating that the time for using threats is past, he recommended Europe and the 5+1 group to avoid associating Iran's nuclear issue with its prestige rather officially recognize it.

He said that the holocaust conference will be held in fall, adding that various groups or individuals with different views on the issue are welcome to attend it or submit their articles irrespective of either accepting or rejecting it.

Asefi said that during his diplomatic mission in Europe, he visited some of the concentration camps in Poland and former East Germany.

"The facts about these camps are often exaggerated and what I witnessed myself is quite different from the ongoing propaganda," he added.

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