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Asefi urges sides to return to negotiation table

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Sept 3, IRNA
Iran-Asefi-Nuclear
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi here Sunday urged the sides to return to negotiation table to settle Iran's nuclear standoff.

"Everything should come from the heart of negotiations. The Islamic Republic of Iran presented its response on schedule although urope did not fulfill its promises.

"The case should be followed up at the negotiations table," Asefi told domestic and foreign reporters at his weekly press conference.

He stressed that negotiations would be the only way to settle Iran's nuclear case, saying, "Other solutions in this field would bear no fruits."

Asked whether Europe had given Iran a two-week deadline, he added, "As the European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana has said the issue of deadline is not the question.

"We do not regard the initial reaction of European and the US officials to Iran's reply as Europe's final response."
A package of incentives was presented to Iran on June 6 by five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- China, Russia, Britain, France and the United States -- plus Germany (Group 5+1).

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani presented Tehran's response to ambassadors of the Group 5+1 as well as Swiss envoy who is acting as caretaker of US interests in Iran on August 22.

Asefi assessed as "important" an upcoming meeting between Larijani and Solana and said, "Europe's response to Iran will become more clear during the meeting."
He said the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan insisted that Iran should respond to the package of incentives, adding, "Annan in his recent talks with Iranian officials once again stressed that he regards negotiations as the only solution to Iran's nuclear case.

"Annan also expressed readiness to do his utmost to resolve Iran's nuclear standoff through talks."
The spokesman noted that the nuclear issue and the developments in Lebanon were among two main topics discussed in the talks between Annan and Iranian officials.

"Annan spoke about Lebanon and the situation in the Middle East region and called on Iran to present a solution.

"We expressed our stance in this regard and said the Islamic Republic of Iran believes in just peace based on which the rights of Palestinians and Lebanese peoples are preserved.

"We also stressed that a prospect for peace cannot be defined as long as the Zionist regime continues its aggressive policies." The Iranian officials stressed that the UN should fulfill its duties.

Asked about the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and disarmament of the Lebanese Hizbollah, Asefi said, "The case should be followed up based on a Lebanese strategy which preserves viewpoints of the Lebanese government, groups and nation.

"Many Lebanese currents and political groups assess disarmament of the Hizbollah as illogical which runs counter to the realities of the country."

Asked about reports that Annan had voiced concern in a meeting with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on the Holocaust exhibition in Tehran, he said, "Annan expressed his view on the exhibition. We also voiced our own stance.

"We believe the Holocaust is not a sacred issue that cannot be criticized."
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