Iran on Tuesday rejected UN nuclear chief's proposal for direct
talks with the United States over Tehran's nuclear issue, the
official IRNA news agency reported.
Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, deputy head of Iran's Supreme National
Security Council, made the remarks in an exclusive interview with
IRNA.
"Minor talks can, however, be held within the G5+1 framework
with the United States as a member of the UN Security Council
(UNSC) so as to solve the nuclear issue speedily," Fazli said.
About the G5+1 framework, he refers to the five permanent
members of the UNSC -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the US--
plus Germany.
Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA), has suggested that Tehran and Washington hold
direct talks on the nuclear crisis.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said
last month that Iran was prepared to consider the UN nuclear
watchdog's proposal to hold direct talks with the US on its
controversial uranium enrichment program.
While voicing Tehran's rejection to the proposed direct talks
with Washington, Fazli also rejected the West's suggestions on
Iran's nuclear issue, saying "Tehran does not accept any idea
calling for suspension of uranium enrichment."
"We have announced clearly that we will never accept suspension
meaning temporary halt to our nuclear activities," he said. "And we
will never back down from our position in that respect."
Fazli, however, expressed that while continuing its legal
nuclear activities, Iran maintains its full cooperation with the
IAEA.
"As an NPT (the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) signatory and
IAEA member, we have had any kind of cooperation. The IAEA
inspections and the IAEA chief's reports indicate no diversion in
Iran's legal activities," he said.
He called on the West to put forward the ideas which could both
honor Iran's legitimate right and allay their real concerns.
Fazli said that Iran has had extensive cooperation with the IAEA
and has provided responses to the remaining problems, so its
natural expectation from "the other side" is reciprocation of the
action as the requisite for confidence-building.
"This can be helpful in preventing issuance of another
(anti-Iran) resolution and sanctions," he added.
The Unite States and Western countries accused Iran of
developing atomic weapons under a civilian cover, but Tehran said
that it only wants to generate electricity by nuclear power.
The UN Security Council has imposed two sanction resolutions
against Tehran's nuclear program since December last year,
demanding a halt to the uranium enrichment activities.
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Iran's senior officials, however, have repeatedly denied the
request.
(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2007)
