Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

NPT Review Conference failed due to US, West extremism: Asefi

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, May 29, IRNA
Iran-NPT Review Conference-Asefi
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said on Sunday that month-long Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference failed thanks to non-abidance of the United States and the West to the treaty.

Talking to domestic and foreign reporters at his weekly press briefing, Asefi said the conference was failed not just because of differences between Iran and the US but for differences between the entire Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) member states and the West led by US.

The West and the US intended to consider certain rights for themselves in the NPT and impose limitations of the treaty on other states, he said.

"The United States made great efforts to announce Iran as a country which violates NPT but the attempt was failed owing to Iran's diplomatic campaign," he added.

Asked about Iran-Europe objective guarantees, he said, objective guarantees for political, economic and security have been raised by Iran in return for similar one the EU seeks from Iran to ensure civilian nature of nuclear program. The Europeans said will adopt such measure."
Charter of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) envisaged Additional Protocol to NPT which grants short-notice inspection rights to the agency as objective guarantee. Iran signed the additional protocol to relieve any concern about national nuclear program.

Iran has set up full fuel cycle for low grade uranium enrichment to produce fuel for nuclear power plant and does not see economical the import of fuel for generating electricity.

On recent remark by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf quoted by German Der Spiegel magazine on Iran's nuclear program, the spokesman said, "President Musharraf knows well that the Islamic Republic does not seek nuclear weapons."
"We hope Pakistanis will clarify that the report has been distorted."
Asefi rejected news on Al Qaeda leader of Iraq Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi entry to Iran for treatment, saying "Iran is a very transparent country. The news on al-Zarqawi's presence in Iran is a smear propaganda campaign.

He expressed hope Iran-Europe negotiations would end to satisfactory results and said Iran has made efforts to build confidence and the Europeans understood this fact. Their call to hold another round of talks showed they believe the case will bear fruit just through negotiations.

Asefi added the Europe will sustain damage more than Iran over referral of Iran's nuclear dossier to the UN Security Council and hoped the Europeans' upcoming proposal would meet Iran's interests.

He further noted he will pay a visit to Kuwait to discuss bilateral cooperation in the fields of dissemination of information and parliamentary and consular ties.

2327/1416
::IRNA No.028 29/05/2005 15:46 --End