Iran foreign ministry says if world powers recognize the Islamic Republic's nuclear rights the dispute could be worked out.
By JOANNA PARASZCZUKIranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast 311 (R(photo credit: Caren Firouz / Reuters)
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday that world powers must recognize Tehran’s nuclear rights in order to resolve the standoff over the country’s nuclear program.Ramin Mehmanparast said that if the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany (known as the P5+1) accepted Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy, the dispute could be worked out easily, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.“If the 5+1 were to adopt a logical approach in the talks, the problem would be solved. All it would take is for [them] to recognize Iran’s nuclear rights and its rights to peaceful nuclear fuel cycles, and all the difficulties would be resolved,” he said.Mehmanparast made the comments during a press conference in Tehran. His remarks came after the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, agreed last week to discuss future steps in nuclear talks with Iran’s chief negotiator, Saeed Jalili.Click here for full Jpost coverage of the Iranian threatA spokeswoman for Ashton said there would be “a phone contact between the high representative [Ashton] and chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Dr. Jalili in order to discuss the next steps in our negotiations.”The Iranian media reported last Wednesday that Jalili’s deputy Ali Bagheri and the EU’s Deputy Secretary-General Helga Schmid had spoken on the telephone.A spokesman for Ashton said the phone call had occurred “in the context of ongoing diplomatic efforts” regarding Iran’s nuclear program, according to the reports.In a press conference earlier this month, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the country was willing to show flexibility at nuclear talks.Iran’s official IRNA news agency quoted Mehmanparast as saying Iran wished to remove concerns over its nuclear program “within a legal framework,” but expected that such measures would be reciprocal.
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