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Ahmadinejad Calls on West to Take Exceptional Opportunity of Talks with Iran

Iran Materials 5 December 2010 10:35 (UTC +04:00)

"The start of talks with Iran will be an exceptional opportunity for the western countries," Ahmadinejad said addressing the second Family Day meeting in Tehran Saturday afternoon, and hoped that leaders of the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) would act through wisdom and take this exceptional opportunity,  FARS reported.

"If you are really honest and intend to get positive results from the talks, you must recognize justice and respect, acknowledge and confirm the Iranian nation's rights, give up animosity and come and sit (to the negotiating table) and talk over constructive cooperation," Ahmadinejad said, addressing the world powers.

The Iranian president further reiterated Tehran's full readiness for cooperation with the world powers on a wide range of issues, saying, "We are ready for cooperation in areas of economy, international security, political and international cooperation and settlement of global problems."

He also cited the May 17 agreement among Iran, Turkey and Brazil on the swap of nuclear fuel for the Tehran research reactor as a good base and foundation for nuclear cooperation between Iran and the world powers.

Yet, the Iranian president warned that in case the other party shows misbehavior once again and shows an intention for trampling upon Iran's rights, "the Iranian nation would give the same crushing response to the opposite side that it has presented throughout the last 30 years (after the revolution), specially in the last 5 years".

He cautioned the world powers to distance themselves from their previous strategy, and reminded that after they halted the talks and adopted a UN Security Council resolution against Iran right in the middle of negotiations with Tehran 6 months ago they could not gain anything, although they imagined that they could force the Iranian nation to withdraw through pressures and sanctions.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), which is in charge of negotiations with the world powers, announced on Tuesday that Iran has sent a letter to EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton to voice its readiness for the resumption of talks with G5+1 in Switzerland on December 6.

Following mending of fences and removal of problems as well as an apology made by Catherine Ashton to this effect, the ground is now well-prepared for the resumption of talks, the Iranian SNSC said.

According to the chief of staff of SNSC Secretary Saeed Jalili, talks between the two sides will be held based on the previous letter sent by Jalili on July 6 this year to Ashton.

Iran has already announced its preparedness for holding talks with the G5+1 on different regional and international issues based on the preconditions set by Tehran.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili had in November informed EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton of Iran's readiness for the resumption of talks with the world powers, but meantime stressed that the western states should first provide proper and clear responses to Iran's questions before any new round of talks between the two sides.

Tehran's prerequisites for talks mentioned in the form of three questions in Jalili's letter to Ashton were first declared by Iran's President Ahmadinejad earlier this year.

During an address to a large congregation of the Iranian people in the Northwestern city of Ardebil, Ahmadinejad said that his earlier questions of the world powers are still in place and should be answered before any resumption of talks between Iran and the West.

"Of course, we have set conditions for the talks and they (the six major powers) should announce their stance about the regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), their goals of negotiation and the atomic bombs of the Zionist regime (of Israel)," Ahmadinejad said.

"They also should declare their compliance with (the rules of) logic and law during the negotiations," the Iranian president added.

"If they keep mum about our questions, in our view this would mean that they do not abide by the IAEA regulations, recognize and accept possession of atomic bombs by the Zionist regime, do not comply with the law in negotiations and are not after friendship with the Iranian nation."

The president stressed that the Iranian nation would never yield to the pressures imposed by the West.

Also earlier today, Iran's SNSC Secretary and chief negotiator Saeed Jalili cautioned that Tehran would determine its future path in accordance with the attitude to be shown by the opposite party, namely the Group 5+1.

"Any future decision will be determined by the other side's behavior," Jalili told reporters in a press conference here in Tehran.

Jalili said since the last round of talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) 15 months ago, the opposite party (5+1) has adopted a wrong strategy whose futile and costly nature is now evident more than ever.

He said in this 15-month-long approach, the opposite party has called pressure its main strategy.

"The legitimacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran's logic and rights and its undeniable capacities has become clearer than ever," Jalili stated, and added, "Their pressure strategy has not only been inefficient, costly, and useless, but also led to a big scandal - a scandal serving terrorism."

He said in this scandal "inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency disclosed the names of the (Iranian) scientists and the UN Security Council listed them in its resolutions. Then (some of) these scientists were assassinated in a bid to implement the resolutions - a big scandal for the Security Council, and the international body must be held accountable before the international community."

Jalili further described "terror as a sign of the pressure strategy's failure".

"The assassination of (Iran's) Dr. Majid Shahriari on one hand cancels out the pressure strategy, and on the other hand strongly supports the legitimate right of the Iranian people and the values of the Islamic Revolution.

"We, however, welcome talks now that the negotiating party (5+1) has realized its strategy is doomed to fail but it is not enough for moving on this path.

"They (5+1) have to put aside their previous wrong strategy and double standards if they seek a continuation of talks."

Jalili further reiterated that Iran would never negotiate its right of access and use of the civilian nuclear technology, saying, "As we (Iran) did not negotiate our people's rights during the first and second rounds of talks in Geneva, we once again underline that the Iranian nation's rights must be preserved and are not negotiable."

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is now more prepared than ever in terms of regional, political, and economic capacities and is ready to enter talks with solidarity, strength and logic."

He also reminded Tehran's preconditions for the resumption of talks with the opposite party, saying, "We have questions and suggestions which were clearly mentioned in our letter dated July 6."

"Considering the economic and political crises some of these countries are now facing, we hope they (5+1) will not choose a path that favors a club of powers' interests and impose further costs on their own peoples and deprive their nations of the benefits of having relations with Iran," the Iranian top negotiator concluded.

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