Iranian rejection to nuclear talks with US
Iran-UN, Politics, 7/1/2006

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Thursday that Iran will table its response to the P5+1 package of incentives in August.

"The response will not be sooner than August; I said Iran will offer its response in August but did not referred to the date," said Mottaki in a press conference after attending a UN conference on the illicit small arms trade.

Mottaki said, "It is necessary to say that response to the package in August would be possible if questions and ambiguities are cleared."

"After More than 2,100-man/day inspections, a document in more than 1,000 pages on Iran's peaceful nuclear activities was sent to the IAEA, indicating not a single case of diversion," said Mottaki. He said Iran is entitled to peaceful nuclear energy per NPT.

"Preventing countries' access to uranium enrichment runs against NPT; confidence-building is a two-way road; we have taken steps towards confidence-building and now its the turn of the other party to take necessary steps."

Mottaki said Iran will not accept any duty beyond NPT. "Suspension of enrichment is a request running against the NPT spirit," he announced.

Iran's Deputy head of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Mohammad-Nabi Roudaki today said that the deadline for Iran to respond to European package of incentives has been set under US pressure.

Ministers of eight industrial states (G8) to attend Saint Petersburg meeting urged that Iran should submit its response to Europe's proposal up to July 5.

He said that the G8 member states have offered the deadline under the US pressure, adding that Iran will respond toward the end of the second month of summer.

Roudaki said that given the issue is being examined by specialized committees, their assessment may even take longer than that.

He said that the US cannot play the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and added that the G8 deadline has been set under the US pressure.

"Iran will declare its primary response after thorough examination of the received proposal toward the end of August." "However, if further assessment is required, it may be declared in September," he added.

The MP said that the G8 group, US and international bodies should notice that Iran is a member of NPT and that it conducts uranium enrichment within the framework of laws.

"The 116 member states of Non-Aligned Movement and 53 members of Organization of Islamic Conference believe that Iran is entitled to peaceful nuclear activities within the framework of NPT. Therefore, the US cannot set a deadline for Iran, given that it is an NPT member.

"Gone is the time when a country like the US would practice hegemony over a nation just for the sake of possessing big oil companies, money and power. Besides, given its independence, Iran coordinates its activities within the framework of international laws," he added.

Majlis Deputy Speaker Hojjatoleslam Seyed Mohammad-Hossein Abu-Torabi Fard said Majlis national security commission will present majlis viewpoints on the proposal to the Supreme National Security Council.

He said Iran's response to EU proposal will be in the framework of NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) and emphasis on its own inalienable rights to use peaceful nuclear technology.

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Thursday that recognition of Iran's right for peaceful nuclear energy and the mechanisms for restoration of the right is one of the two key elements necessary for comprehensive settlement of Iran's nuclear case.

He said further strengthening of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is another element influential in comprehensive settlement of the issue. Mottaki said any understanding in that connection would relieve concerns of one of the parties, while securing restoration of the rights of the other party.

He said the European package of incentives should contain necessary elements in order to reach a full-fledged understanding.

He noted that there are some ambiguities in the P5+1 package, but declined to cite them. He said Iran is morally forbidden to mention them but will publicize them at an appropriate time.

He went on to say that however, Iran has informed the EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana of certain points and he too admitted that the questions were important in their kind which should be addressed in the Iran-EU talks.

Member of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Heshmat Falahat-Pisheh said today that the deadline set by the G8 for Iran to respond to Europe's proposal is "hasty and political." In a statement issued by the foreign ministers of the eight industrial countries (G8) in Moscow, Iran has been urged to submit its response to Europe's proposal by July 5.

He said Iran requires more time to provide the opportunity for evaluation of the proposal.

He said "The deadline set by the G8 foreign ministers for Iran's response destroys the mutually built confidence," and added, about the continued trend of specialized assessment of Europe's proposal by Iran, that offering any political deadline for responding to the proposed package will get nowhere.

Meantime, a PTI report said quoted US Ambassador David C Mulford, that a reference to Iran in the draft bill of the International Relations Committee of the House of Representatives, as part of the US -India nuclear deal is not part of a law, but rather a statement of declaration.

Indian Left parties have objected to the mention of Iran in the bill, saying "this clearly substantiates" the apprehensions that "through the nuclear deal, the US will arm-twist India to change its foreign policy to kow-tow to US strategic global designs." US ambassador Mulford explained that in such type of bills, there are legislative provisions as well as "declaratory statements which sometimes specify or remind people what the US policy is" vis-a-vis an issue.

"It is indicating a sense of the Congress in a way that is not legal or binding," Mulford said, adding that references to Iran in the draft bill are in "that category." Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani who welcomes "diplomacy," on Thursday dismissed any deadline set for Iran to respond to European package of incentives, saying such a subject is a mere propaganda and unreal. "We have trodden a long path; in the past too, we had told the negotiating parties that they will gain nothing if they show tough approaches," said Larijani when asked by the press on the fate of negotiations with Europe on Iran's peaceful nuclear program.

An Iranian cleric yesterday ruled out any negotiation with the US on Iran's peaceful nuclear program.

"With regards to our nuclear case, we have nothing to do with the US and principally, our officials will have no talks with the US," said substitute Friday prayers leader of Tehran Hojjatoleslam Ahmad Khatami in his second Friday prayers sermon.

Hojjatoleslam Khatami questioned the US qualification for involvement in the nuclear talks.

"Who the US is that pokes its nose into Iran's nuclear affairs? What is its position? Should anybody, that has power and bullies, get present on all scenes?" He said Iran will not definitely hold talks on its absolute rights. "Certainly, our officials will not sit on the table to negotiate the absolute rights." He said "They referred the case to the UN Security Council and saw nothing happened; our officials and people did not lose their spirits and therefore, they came to the conclusion that they cannot speak to the Iranian people with the language of force.

"Passage of time showed they cannot speak with a great nation such as the Iranian nation with the language of force and have it sit on the negotiation table."

Previous Stories:
  Iran reply on nuclear proposal due in August   (6/29/2006)
  Iran expects IAEA Board Of Governors to remove nuclear issue   (6/15/2006)
  Iran will repsond after studying the nuclear offer   (6/14/2006)

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