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Disarmament DocumentationBack to Disarmament Documentation Comments by Iran Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, March 30, 2006'Mottaki: Reporting Iran's nuclear case to UNSC a mistake', IRNA, Vienna, March 30, 2006. Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in Geneva on Thursday that reporting Iran's case to the UN Security Council was a mistake. "Reporting Iran's case to the UN Security Council was a wrong move and we hope that it will come to a conclusion at the International Atomic Energy Agency through talks and negotiations," said Mottaki in an address to a press conference after a UN meeting on disarmament. Mottaki said an imposed 30-day deadline set for certain activities marks another dimension of hasty decisions. "Of course certain people are after excuses and have explicitly announced that are following another objectives," he added. "We consider many problems and shortcomings in their activities as the world witnessed in the Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo cases." Asked whether there was any solution to Iran's nuclear problem, Mottaki said, "With regards to the nuclear fuel production there are many solutions; one of them is forming a regional consortium for production of nuclear fuel." Iran is prepared to continue dialogue, said Mottaki, adding, "At any rate, we consider talks as an appropriate channel and are prepared for that but if there are certain people following other objectives, this will only further complicate the issue." Asked on Israel's likely invasion on Iranian territory, Mottaki said the Zionist regime has always been a source of danger for the entire region. "In our opinion, under the current circumstances, the Zionist regime has not the capacity to enforce its threats," commented Mottaki. Referring to the Zionist regime's possession of abundant nuclear warheads, Mottaki said countries should not follow double-standards. To a question whether the UN Security Council would issue sanctions against Iran, Mottaki said, "Presently, no such a possibility exists; the alternative for settlement of the problem is either collaboration, talks and understanding or making conditions more difficult; and our preference is the first choice." Also asked how Iran is prepared to deal with likely sanctions, Mottaki said, "As I said we have got prepared for different conditions but presently the concentration is made on the diplomatic work." "Our preference is reaching agreement; we have however raised our capacity and potential in different fields in the past. Presently we have practically made ourselves compatible with the present sanctions." Also on India's stance against Iran's nuclear problem and its impact on the gasline project, Mottaki said the Iran-India relations are important and have historical precedence. The gasline project has been defined based on regional needs and regional states are willing to implement it, said Mottaki, adding that bilateral talks have been made on the gasline project and "we are arranging trilateral talks." "The way a country defines its interests with others is up to it itself; Iran however expects a friendly country not to let its relations with others downgrade its relations with Iran." To maintain their relations, Iran and India should be watchful of the movements of the third parties, he added. Asked about the outcome of Russia's nuclear venture project, Mottaki said any proposal, that would on the one hand guarantee Iran's rights and its access to its legal rights based on the NPT and on the other hand cement the NPT, can be investigated. On the Iran-US talks on Iraq, Mottaki said, "We have accepted the proposal of the Iraqi officials for the Iran-US talks on Iraq; the talks will be only about Iraq." Asked whether Iran would use the oil leverage to face likely actions, Mottaki said, "We consider the solution for nuclear energy lying in the IAEA and we follow our rights and duties within the same framework." Source: IRNA, http://www.irna.ir. © 2006 The Acronym Institute. |