Turkey, Brazil participation in nuclear talks would be constructive
An Iranian official has announced that it would be constructive for Turkey and Brazil to participate in Iran’s talks with the Vienna group on a nuclear fuel swap deal.
“The presence of Turkey and Brazil… in Iran’s negotiations with the Vienna group (the United States, France, Russia, and the International Atomic Energy Agency) could be constructive,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters at his weekly press briefing on Tuesday.
Mehmanparast said Turkey and Brazil played an important role in drawing up the Tehran Declaration.
The declaration was signed by the foreign ministers of Iran, Turkey, and Brazil in Tehran on May 17. According to the proposal, Iran would ship 1200 kilograms of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey to be exchanged for 120 kilograms of 20 percent enriched nuclear fuel rods to power the Tehran research reactor, which produces radioisotopes for cancer treatment.
Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Chairman Alaeddin Boroujerdi said on Monday that it would be “natural” for Brazil and Turkey to participate in Iran’s talks with the Vienna group.
Mehmanparast said no date has yet been set for the talks with the Vienna group but added that the ground has been prepared for the resumption of talks on a nuclear fuel exchange.
And no date for the talks between Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has been set either, he stated.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he said regional nations should be cautious about Israel, and all Middle Eastern countries should make efforts to resolve the crises in the region.
“All countries (in the Mideast) should be vigilant about the Zionist regime’s moves in order to defuse the security threats in the region because this illegitimate regime is the source of all this insecurity,” Mehmanparast noted.
He went on to say that the effort to kick-start the stalled peace talks between Palestine and Israel is a “favorable move” but noted that such negotiations may not produce any results since the talks might be influenced by political pressure.
The problems the Palestinians are facing should be resolved, but as long as a large number of Palestinians are forced to live as refugees in other nations and others occupy their land, nobody should expect the Palestine issue to be resolved, he stated.
He restated Iran’s position on Palestine, saying a referendum should be held in a totally democratic atmosphere, with the members of all the territory’s religious groups participating, and whoever wins the referendum should become the rulers of Palestine.
Commenting on the remarks made by certain U.S. officials, who said Iran’s recent announcements about the development of new military equipment posed a threat to the region, he said, “Those officials who have expressed concern about our defense capabilities, whatever their intention… did not have a correct perception.”
Whenever a country gains such defense capabilities, it utilizes them for defensive purposes, he noted.
Asked about Iran-Pakistan security cooperation, Mehmanparast said, “We and Pakistan have problems with borders, and we should expand cooperation on terrorism… (and) specifically, the security forces of the two countries should foil terrorist acts through regular talks.”
He also said that Iran has no connection with terrorist groups and they are actually supported by other countries and Iran believes that terrorism should be eradicated.
Source: tehrantimes.com
