Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

FM spokesman stresses new formula for nuclear fuel swap

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, May 11, IRNA – Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said on Tuesday that new formula can pave the way for the nuclear fuel swap with Turkey and Brazil.

Talking to reporters, he expressed hope that US, France and Russia would announce their readiness for fuel swap and prove that they are serious in that regard.

Iran believes that the new Turkey-Brazil formula can be materialized, he said.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be in Iran at the same time as the Brazilian President Lula da Silva who is due to make an official visit to Tehran from May 16 to 17, the spokesman announced.

On the upcoming meeting of Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili with the EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, he said, Ms Ashton had repeatedly requested a meeting with Iranian officials.

Iran agreed to the issue but the date has not been set yet, he said, adding that as to the venue of the meeting, Turkey suggested that the talks be held there and Tehran did not see a problem with that.

“We should wait and see what issues she wants to discuss”, he said.

If Iran’s peaceful nuclear program is the topic of Jalili-Ashton discussions, “our response is that the nuclear issue is a matter of discussion with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” Mehman-Parast said, adding that but if she wants to bring up international issues, Tehran will examine them.

He further referred to the case of the three US nationals imprisoned in Iran, announcing that Iran has issued visas to the mothers of the three US nationals who had entered Iran illegally.

Their mothers can travel to Iran to meet their children, he said, adding that “this is a humanitarian act while we have not seen any such response on the other side.”