Iran: Intransigence of West has fixes the nuclear position
Iran-UN, Politics, 3/13/2007

Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad will defend Iran's nuclear rights late March, wrote Italian daily La Republica in its Tuesday edition.

The daily wrote, "There is no doubt that Ahmadi-Nejad would attend the UN meeting to defend Iranian nuclear rights."

Late March, when Iran's nuclear case is on table at the UN Security Council, Ahmadi-Nejad will personally attend the universal body to provide it with explanations on the nuclear program.

The newspaper said China and Russia will continue to oppose sanctions against Iran.

It added that Moscow, which is busy building a nuclear center in Bushehr in Iran, has been sluggish in the commissioning of the project.

Russian foreign ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said today that the new UN Security Council resolution on Iran's nuclear program should be drafted in a way that Iranian nation's rights are not violated.

Kamynin said the new draft resolution on Iran is being worked out after a Group 5+1 agreement in the Berlin meeting on Monday.

He said that in drafting the resolution, the Group 5+1 members consider common goals, including firstly to check any violation of NPT and of Iranian nation's rights.

Iran's Expediency Council Chairman Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani today called on the global community to deal with Iran's nuclear case wisely. "The Islamic Republic of Iran has taken necessary measures to build up international confidence in its peaceful nuclear program, hoping that the concerned parties would take effective steps to settle the problem by focusing on winning the other party's confidence," said Rafsanjani in a meeting with Singaporean senior minister Goh Chok Tong.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said today that no country can deprive Iran of using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. In a meeting with member of Iran's Strategic Foreign Relations Council Mohammad Shariatmadari, Aso said that Iran has long-standing civilization and is highly respected by the world community including the West.

He referred to Japan's isolation in the past and urged that Iran should use his country's experience to avoid being isolated in the world. The minister pointed to Iran as a democratic regional country, adding that the Iranian community is distinguished from others by the features of its democracy.
The two officials discussed expansion of bilateral relations and development of Iran's nuclear program.

Iran's Government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham said today that President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad and the government will be present in all national affairs to defend the Iranian nation's rights and strongly defend their logical and principled stances.

He added that the president would come up with various initiatives and plans at appropriate times, saying, "Ahmadi-Nejad has his own plans and scenario suited to every condition to promote the country's goals."

He assessed as a "new initiative" a plan of the president to explain the country's nuclear program at an upcoming UN Security Council session, and said "the plan is subject to certain
conditions." "The visit depends on whether such a session would be held. Hence, his plan is not yet final."

The US Department of State Spokesman Tom Casey today said the US wants Iran to "go back to what it was for some time, adhering to under the original Paris Agreement which is a full suspension of its uranium enrichment activities." Iran had repeatedly said it would not suspend its enrichment, and would not accept preconditions to talks.

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Sunday that any discrimination in utilization and exploitation of the latest and modern technology would be an injustice and tyrannical.

"They (the westerners) did not act on their commitments and we can not invest billions of dollars, while remaining dependent on other countries for fuel supply," Mottaki told visiting Kyrgyz speaker Merat Sultanev, while referring to a Majlis approval for annual production of 20,000 megawatts of nuclear energy, an Iran-US contract 50 years ago for yearly generation of 23,000 megawatts of nuclear energy and the nuclear accords signed with France, Germany and Italy.

The minister underlined that confidence-building should be two-way. "Confidence-building is a two-way street. Due to the same reason, we would not compromise on Iranian nation's right of nuclear energy exploitation, enshrined by NPT. We believe continuation of talks can solve problems," added the Iranian top diplomat.

Elham said that suspension of enrichment was no longer an issue. "The opposite side has killed the issue. Hence, the rights and assertions of the Islamic Republic of Iran are now stabilized," he told reporters at his weekly press conference.

He made it clear that while Iran would not welcome a new sanctions resolution (by the UN Security Council), it would not be concerned about one. He urged the council to move reasonably on Iran's nuclear case because other options, sanctions in particular, would only complicate the current situation.

Asked about Iran's possible reaction to tougher Security Council sanctions against the country, Elham dismissed the idea by saying "sanctions will have no impact on the progress of the Iranian nation."
"To us, sanctions are not new literature because they had been imposed on Iran way back since the victory of the Islamic Revolution (in 1979).. The Islamic Republic of Iran is not concerned about possible sanctions."

The spokesman added that in international arrangements, sanctions affect both sides.
In response to a question on the increasing threat of a military attack on Iran, Elham said "We will give a serious, firm and appropriate response as called for by circumstances."

Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani today ruled out any connection between Russia's decision to delay completion of Bushehr nuclear power plant and the new UN Security Council resolution on Iran.

"That's a media comment; what we've heard is different," said Larijani when asked by a reporter at a press conference whether Russian president Vladimir Putin had ordered delaying Bushehr nuclear project with approach of the new UN Security Council resolution on Iran.

Larijani also turned down the assumption that delaying of the project was politically motivated.

Asked on impact of the new UN Security Council resolution on Iran, Larijani said, "Such extremist approaches towards Iran's nuclear program, which is very clearly for civilian purpose, will have no result but making Iran more determined to follow up the program." He said, "They do not know Iranians well; if Iranians feel that there is an outside enemy making bully, they will set aside differences and stand firmly in defense of their national aspiration." He warned that any hardline approach would be given a crushing response.

The official said Iran has repeatedly announced its readiness for negotiation but the other party has left the talks and taken up the ambitious options.

As for the second phase of centrifuge operation, he said he was not informed of the first and second phases of centrifuge operation.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Larijani said he did not accept the Russian party's claim that operation of Bushehr power plant in September 2007 had been based on mathematical calculations.

"If Russia has any considerations, it should tell it to us more clearly," he said, adding that he supposed financial problem should have been at work.

Previous Stories:
  Western position on Iran described as illogical   (3/6/2007)
  Talks on Iran's peaceful nuclear program in London   (2/26/2007)
  Iran: Nuclear talks should be in framework of IAEA   (2/21/2007)

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