Iran's top nuclear negotiator said yesterday that his country is
still studying the contents of an international nuclear package,
dashing hopes that Tehran would be able to respond prior to this
Saturday's G8 summit as requested by the West.?
"I see no reason for being skeptical. We must allow more time
for negotiations to work. That could be a very important
negotiation for the region," Ali Larijani told a press conference
at the Iranian embassy in Brussels.
Larijani had just concluded a meeting with Javier Solana, the
EU's foreign policy and security chief.
After the reception of the proposal crafted by the five
permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, several
committees were established to study its contents, said
Larijani.
"We are waiting for the results of their work," he said through
an interpreter, adding that Tehran would communicate these results
to the EU once they are available.
"Of course we insist that the work (of the committees) be done
as soon as possible, because reaching understanding is in the
interests of all sides."
He said patience is needed for negotiations of such scale.
"We must be patient because we are going to do a big job. These
negotiations can be finally a win-win situation for Europe and
Iran," said Larijani.
"Iran can guarantee, for example, energy security for Europe. It
's not a very small thing. So we have to take into consideration
all dimensions of the negotiations. Then we are going to achieve
very ambitious goals in the negotiations."
He did not elaborate on how Iran can guarantee energy security
for Europe.
Larijani asked for "tremendous efforts" from both the EU and
Iran to create "a very positive ground" for negotiations.
"It is not very difficult to disrupt negotiations by taking
harsh or radical approaches," he warned.
Britain, France and Germany have been in negotiations with Iran
on behalf of the EU for more than two years.
Larijani also met Solana last Thursday for preliminary talks,
which the Iranians say are intended for the removal of ambiguities
in the international offer.
Pressed for specifying the ambiguities, Larijani said he could
say nothing as the text of the international proposal has not been
made public.
But he insisted the ambiguities must be removed first before
Tehran can respond to the offer.
He would not say whether Iran would yield on the issue of
suspension of uranium enrichment, a key condition for the
resumption of talks. The negotiations would provide a "theater" to
solve these issues, he said.
He insisted that Iran's rights under the nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) should not be compromised.
"Every country has certain obligations and certain rights in
accordance with the NPT," he said.
"Maybe some countries believe that they can endorse our rights
provided that we are not going to enjoy these rights. This is not a
good position."
The US accuses Iran of a secret program to produce nuclear
weapons. Iran has said its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes
only.
"The question of nuclear bomb is a big lie," said Larijani,
"because we are undertaking our research at lab level. All
scientists know that with research work we cannot build a nuclear
bomb."
He said nuclear bomb has no place in Iran's defense and security
doctrine and that Tehran can still maintain its influence in the
Islamic world without a nuclear bomb.
"We do not need such means of deterrence," he said.
He insisted that his country has done nothing wrong in the
direction of its nuclear program.
The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency,
has said it is not being able to determine whether or not Iran has
hidden activities or hidden materials owing to the lack of access
to documents, scientists and limited scope of inspection.
The two rounds of talks with Solana have obviously failed to
make any breakthrough although Larijani said they had discussed
"central issues."
Right after yesterday's meeting Solana said that he will meet
today representatives of the six countries that have crafted the
package for Iran -- Britain, France, Germany, the US, Russia and
China.
"We will make (an) analysis ... and we will see how to proceed,"
he said.
Larijani said on the same occasion that the talks will be a
"long process" and that patience is needed.
Both men refused to take any questions from the reporters.
The international nuclear package, which was presented to
Iranian leaders by Solana on June 6, was designed to lure Iran to
the suspension of uranium enrichment in return for political and
economic incentives and nuclear technological assistance.
Uranium enrichment is a crucial step in the nuclear fuel cycle
to make atomic bombs. In return for Iran's suspension of uranium
enrichment, the West has promised to provide Iran with a modern
light-water reactor and guaranteed supply of fuel.
Iran has said it favors a solution through negotiations, but has
refused to take the suspension of uranium enrichment as a
precondition for talks.
(Xinhua News Agency July 12, 2006)
