Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 17
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the international sanctions against Iran did not force Tehran to enter nuclear talks with the world powers, Iran 's state IRINN TV reported March 17.
"We are negotiating with the world as it is in favor of Iran, the regional countries as well as the P5+1 member countries," Rouhani said.
The Iranian president made the remarks on the sideline of the inauguration ceremony of the Phase 12 of the South Pars gas field.
"Inauguration of the biggest South Pars phase symbolizes the Islamic Republic's success in passing the barriers made by sanctions," Rouhani said.
The Phase 12 of the South Pars gas field was developed with domestic expertise and an investment of $7 billion. Experts have estimated that by tapping this phase, Iran 's GDP will rise by 2 percent. They have also said that the completion of six gas rows in the phase during the past year should be regarded as an unprecedented move.
The Iranian president further said that the era of imposing sanctions and restrictions is over.
"I have on numerous occasions stated to the world powers' heads that the sanctions are illegal and violates the human rights" Rouhani said, adding sanctions may not force Iranian nation to give up.
However he confirmed that the sanctions have made problems for the Islamic Republic.
Iran and the P5+1 (the US, the UK, Russia, China , France and Germany ) are negotiating to reach a political understanding by March 31 in the run-up to a comprehensive deal over the Islamic Republic's disputed nuclear program by July 1 deadline.
After the sides failed to meet the November 24, 2014 deadline they also extended the Geneva nuclear deal, which was signed in November 2013 to provide Iran with some sanctions relief in exchange for Tehran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities.
The last round of talks between Iran and the P5+1 was held in the Swiss town of Montreux in the first week of March.
The US and its Western allies suspect Iran of developing a nuclear weapon, something that Iran denies.
Edited by CN
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