• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Iran to pursue nuclear activities under IAEA supervision - Mottaki

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Istanbul, Feb 22, IRNA
Mottaki-Nuclear-IAEA
IRI Foreign Minster said here Wednesday night Iran would pursue its peaceful nuclear activities within framework of IAEA regulations, ready for answering any questions and eliminating any ambiguities through negotiations.

Manouchehr Mottaki made the comment at a press conference on important regional issues, Tehran-Ankara relations, and Islamic Republic of Iran's peaceful nuclear program.

He added, "Last week Mr. Solana said in a meeting with Mr. Larijani that EU is ready for resuming negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program, and Iran, too, welcomed that proposal."

Pointing out that the previous round of talks were halted due to political reasons, the Iranian Foreign Minister said, "We hope the new round of negotiations would be the continuation of the previously achieved results, and that there would be sufficient strong will for chieving tangible results in both sides."

Focusing on US policies regarding Iran's peaceful nuclear program, he said, "The United States is not in a position today to impose another crisis against the US tax payers."

Mottaki added, "There have from the beginning been two options regarding Iran's nuclear program: confrontation and clashes, or interactions and cooperation. An we have readied ourselves for both, keeping in mind the region's high sensitivities, stressing that negotiations and cooperation are our preferred option."

He reiterated, "Today all world countries, including the Americans, say that Iran's nuclear issues need to be tackled through holding talks, and peacefully."

Referring to his past two days' talks with his Turkish counterpart, that country's President, Prime Minister, and Foreign Trade Minister, he said, "Various regional political issues were discussed in those meetings."

Mottaki said, "On Iraq, we believe the territorial integrity, national unity, stability, and security need to be safeguarded in that ountry, and we believe Iraq's security needs to be restored relying on raqi Government's management, although the foreign forces present there, too, are responsible for the matter."

He added, "We meanwhile believe Iraq's neighbors, too, must contribute to restoration of stability and security in Iraq, since the course of violence and brutality would lead to no tangible results for the Iraqi nation and for Iraq's neighbors."

On internal clashes in Iraq, Mottaki said, "The United States and Britain are the designers of disputes and clashes between the Shi'a and Sunni Muslims in Iraq, and they have organized the sectarian clashes there for sure, while the Iraqi people, including the Shi'as, the Sunnis, the Kurds, the Turkmen, and the others, have lived peacefully side by side for centuries."

2329/1771