Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 29 / Trend D.Khatinoglu /
Iran does not intend to discuss its nuclear program with the West, Iranian Parliamentary Security Commission Deputy Chairman Ismail Kosari has told Trend from Tehran over phone.
He said the country will mull with the "Six international mediators on Iran" (Russia, the U.S., China, Britain, France and Germany) the issues outside the Iranian nuclear program, such as global climate change, as well as issues of poverty, energy, environment and security, including the situation in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, as well as other general questions.
"Iran has previously agreed to negotiations, but these negotiations reached an impasse because of the "Six"," Kosari said.
In July 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama urged Iran to, until September, respond to the proposal of "six" stipulating refusal from further nuclear research for exchange to trade preferences. Thereafter, in September Iran submitted to "Six" a package of proposals relating to the world nuclear energy and other global "challenges".
The talks on the exchange of uranium were suspended, following which there were launched the negotiations mediated by Turkey and Brazil, Kosari added.
"But despite the effectiveness of these negotiations, the UN adopted a resolution 1929," he said. "So, this time we should announce the theme of the upcoming talks in advance."
In October 2009, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and "six international mediators on Iran" offered Tehran to exchange low-enriched uranium (3.5-percent) to high-enriched uranium (20-percent). According to this plan, Iran was proposed to export its low-enriched uranium to Russia where it would be further enriched and then sent to France for processing it into fuel assemblies for the Tehran reactor.
But Tehran said it was ready to buy more highly enriched uranium or exchange with its reserves, provided that the exchange will be held in the Iranian territory. World powers and the IAEA, with its headquarters in Vienna, declined the proposal of Iran.
The tripartite agreement on the exchange of uranium was reached May 17 between Iran, Turkey and Brazil. The foreign ministers of these countries signed a draft agreement for the exchange of Tehran's low-enriched uranium (up to 3.5 percent) for highly enriched uranium (up to 20 percent) for the Tehran research reactor. According to the document, the exchange would be made on Turkish territory.
The UN Security Council adopted another resolution, which provides for tougher sanctions against Tehran in connection with its refusal to cease its uranium enrichment June 9, 2010. This is the fourth resolution, adopted by the Security Council because of Tehran's unwillingness to comply with international requirements concerning the Iranian nuclear program.
The IAEA reports on Iran, Kosari said, do not reflect information questioning the legitimacy of Iran's nuclear program, and all the claims about its illegality are unfounded.
"Iran insists on completion of the negotiations on Iran's nuclear program. All claims on this matter do not have any documentary grounds," Kosari said.
T.Konyayeva contributed to the article.
Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at [email protected]