Iran sticks to Tehran declaration
IRIB English News
2003/11/25
Tehran, Nov 25 - Vice President for legal and parliamentary affairs Mohammad-Ali Abtahi said here late Sunday that given Europe's confidence in Iran's nuclear program, Iran will comply with Tehran declaration.
Speaking to the Dubai-based Al-Arabia network, he added that though Iran has already declared several times that it doesn't intend to gain access to nuclear weapons and that its nuclear activities are peaceful, the US and Israel keep insisting on their claim.
Responding to the question on his prediction of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) decision in its Wednesday meeting, he said that Iran started its multilateral cooperation with IAEA even before the agency called for it, given its belief that further transparency to the effect will also be to its own benefit.
Concerning Iran's readiness for any decision that may be taken by the IAEA in the upcoming Vienna meeting on Wednesday, he noted, "We already managed to sign an agreement in this respect through diplomatic efforts and properly briefing the Europeans and the three EU Foreign Ministers visiting Tehran.
"Therefore, we shall proceed according to the signed document known as Tehran declaration, which is approved by the Europeans and the IAEA," he added.
Abtahi said that the Europeans are aware that diplomatic approach towards Iran on the issue is in the world's interests, adding that the Americans however have not yet realized it.
"The Europeans have so far benefited from Iran's domestic potentials and Iran is prepared to respond to the entire world if it chooses to make use of its capabilities as well.
Abtahi said that considering Iran's opposition to both Taliban and Saddam when they were ruling in Afghanistan and Iraq respectively, once they were toppled, the US included Iran in the trilateral 'axis of evil' along with Iraq and North Korea.
"That's why Iranian nation doesn't trust the US," he added.
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