Larijani rejects enrichment suspension

Iranian negotiator to hold talks with Solana on Thursday in Madrid.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Ali Larijani 298.88 (photo credit: AP)
Ali Larijani 298.88
(photo credit: AP)
On the eve of talks with the European Union foreign policy chief, Iran's nuclear negotiator rejected Wednesday the possibility of Iran suspending its controversial nuclear enrichment program. "Suspension is not the right solution for solving Iran's nuclear issue," the state news agency quoted Ali Larijani as saying before leaving Teheran for Spain. "Past experiences have shown that suspension is not acceptable, at all." Larijani, who arrives in Madrid on Wednesday afternoon, is expected to hold talks with EU's Javier Solana on Thursday.
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The talks are meant to explore whether there is room to resume negotiations over Iran's disputed nuclear program, which the United States and the EU fear is being used to make weapons. Iran rejects Western claims, saying its program is for generating electricity only. The UN Security Council has demanded Iran suspend uranium enrichment, which can produce both reactor fuel and, at higher levels, weapons-grade material. The Security Council first imposed sanctions on Iran on December 23 for rejecting its demands, and then modestly increased them in March. The council is preparing to debate a third round of punitive measures against Teheran. "If Iran is supposed to suspend its nuclear activities, there will be no issue for talks," said Larijani, adding that the UN and US demand for uranium enrichment suspension was "unprincipled." However, Larijani said Teheran was prepared and ready to remove the West's concerns over its nuclear program. "We want to continue our peaceful nuclear program, but others should have no concerns about it as well." It was not immediately clear if Larijani's comment signaled Teheran would take concrete steps to alleviate UN nuclear concerns - such as giving more leeway to inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog agency, the IAEA, whose monitoring of Iranian nuclear plants was curtailed by Teheran after the latest round of Security Council sanctions. On his trip to Spain, Larijani was accompanied by his deputy in international affairs, Javad Vaidi and also deputy head of Iran's atomic energy organization, Mohammad Saeedi, IRNA said. Iran temporarily suspended enrichment under a previous deal with the European Union but that pact collapsed in 2005 and Teheran resumed the work. Solana is empowered by the world's major powers - the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany as well as the EU - to explore the scope for formal negotiations on a package of economic, technological and political initiatives if Iran suspends enrichment.