'Brazil nuclear mediation welcome'

Ahmadinejad approves of Brazil's bid to revive nuclear fuel deal.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ahmadinejad at NPT 311 (photo credit: AP)
Ahmadinejad at NPT 311
(photo credit: AP)
TEHERAN, Iran — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in principle accepts mediation by Brazil of a nuclear deal with the West.
The president's website said late Tuesday that Ahmadinejad "in principle" approves of Brazil having a role in reviving the UN-backed deal to exchange nuclear fuel for Iran's stock of enriched uranium. Ahmadinejad spoke about it over the telephone with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Last year Teheran rejected the deal, which the West believed would curb Iran's ability to make nuclear weapons. Current attempts to return it to the table have seem aimed at  derailing efforts to harness Russian and Chinese support for a fourth round of sanctions against Iran.
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On Tuesday, after months of campaigning to avert new UN sanctions, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad summed up his case Tuesday and dismissed the threat of further economic penalties over his country's nuclear program.
"Experience has proven that sanctions cannot stop the Iranian nation," Ahmadinejad told reporters at a hotel across from UN headquarters, where a month-long nuclear treaty conference was in its second day.
"While we do not welcome sanctions, we do not fear them either," he said. "It seems to us that the structure of the Security Council is undemocratic and unjust, and is unable to bring about security. ... This Security Council will completely lose its legitimacy." Major powers on the 15-nation United Nations Security Council appear resolved to seek further sanctions.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei A. Ryabkov said Tuesday he was "reasonably optimistic" an agreement can be reached on a fourth round of sanctions.
"I do believe the talks are slowly moving forward. There's definitely some space to bridge over. But I wouldn't over-exaggerate the differences," Ryabkov said.
Ahmadinejad argued any new sanctions would mean that US President Barack Obama had given up on his campaign to engage Iran diplomatically.
"We feel that the US government will be damaged, more than us, by those sanctions," he said. "It's very clear that if the United States starts another sanctions (regime) against Iran, it means that it's the end of Mr. Obama's effort. It means Mr. Obama's submission. It means no change will occur."
Ahmadinejad called the US disclosures Monday about its previously secretive nuclear arsenal "a positive step forward," but one that still raises questions.
"It's no pride to possess 5,000 bombs," he said. "Now, how can you have the trust of a government that announces 5,000 bombs after 60 years?"
Arab countries call on Israel to disarm
Arab countries, meanwhile, sought to turn attention to Israel on Tuesday as delegates from 189 countries debated how to stem the spread of nuclear weapons.
On Tuesday, Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh expressed frustration at the lack of progress on implementing a nuclear-free Middle East, a goal that was declared in a resolution of a previous meeting of NPT signatories.
Hesaid that Israel's failure to sign the NPT and allow internationalmonitoring of its nuclear program "renders the NPT a source ofinstability in the Middle East."
Egypt has proposed that this2010 NPT conference back a plan calling for the start of negotiationsnext year on such a Mideast zone. The proposal may become a majordebating point in the monthlong session.
The United States hascautiously supported the idea while saying that implementing the ideamust wait for progress in the Middle East peace process. The positionreflected a middle ground as the Obama administration sought to satisfyArab countries while keeping the spotlight of the conference on Iran'snuclear program.
Israel: Mideast peace before nonproliferation
TheIsraeli UN mission declined to comment on the specifics of theconference, but told The Associated Press that Israel's stance onnonproliferation continues to be that an accepted political solutionfor comprehensive peace in the Middle East should first be reached.
TheNPT is formally reviewed every five years at a meeting of treatymembers — which include all the world's nations except India, Pakistan,Israel and North Korea, all of which either have confirmed or arebelieved to have nuclear weapons.
Because it requires aconsensus of all parties, including Iran, any final document would behighly unlikely to censure the Teheran government, which would blockconsensus.