Iran sets conditions to resume talks
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Iran announced conditions on Tuesday to resume talks with the world powers over its enduring controversial nuclear issue but said that it has no plans to halt its "peaceful" nuclear activities.
In a letter forwarded to European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili announced on Tuesday that Iran can resume nuclear talks from Sept. 1 if certain conditions are met, the official IRNA news agency reported.
According to IRNA, Jalili, responding to Ashton's earlier talks offer, said that "In order to initiate the talks, your answer to the three following questions (of Iran) is needed."
Jalili's first question to Catherine Ashton who is currently acting the negotiator between Iran and G5+1 (including five permanent members of UN Security Council plus Germany) asked "Is the objective of the resumption of the talks cooperation or the continuation of enmity with Iranians' rights?"
And "Are you committed to the logic of the talks which necessitates avoiding threats and pressures (on Iran)?" Jalili was quoted as saying.
As the third question, Iran called on the West to adopt a clear stance over Israel's nuclear arsenal.
"In order to clarify the basics of the bilateral talks, what is your (West's) position concerning the Zionist (Israel) regimes' nuclear weapons?" the letter was quoted as saying by IRNA.
"Your response to the above-mentioned questions can pave the ground for the talks to remove the common global concerns over (failures in) establishing peace, justice and welfare for the nations," said Jalili urging the West to try to gain Iranians' trust.
He said "Today, more than ever, you need our nation's trust in you," adding that "Therefore, drop the wrong dual-strategy" of imposing sanctions and compensate for your last mistakes.
Repeating earlier remarks of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he maintained that in case Iran's questions are responded appropriately, the countries which are interested can take part in the nuclear talks between Iran and the West from Sept. 1, according to IRNA.
Earlier in June, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in the forthcoming nuclear fuel swap talks, Iran would include Turkey and Brazil in the negotiations.
According to the letter, the conditions have already been set by Ahmadinejad.
In the meantime, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tuesday that the probable forthcoming talks between Iran and the world powers will be based on the Tehran Declaration.
Tehran Declaration which was a tripartite agreement between Iran, Turkey and Brazil was singed in May endorsing a fuel swap according to which Iran will ship most of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for the 20 percent uranium fuel needed for its reactor.
If the things move in the proper way and the talks start in the following months, "the framework of the talks will be the Tehran Declaration," said Mehmanparast in his weekly press briefing.
In June, Ahmadinejad said Iran would postpone nuclear talks with the West to late August to punish the West for imposing economic sanctions on the country. The spokesman said that, however, Iran will never refrain from its inalienable rights of following its "peaceful" nuclear activities.
Since Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), therefore, it has the legitimate right to enrich uranium for "peaceful" purposes and to meet its needs, he said.
Enriching uranium at the scale of 20 percent is for "peaceful purposes" and Iran is not intending to halt its enrichment program, said the spokesman implying that sanctions adopted against Tehran over its nuclear issue will not stop the country from pursing the program.
China said on Tuesday that UN Security Council sanctions against Iran should not be wilfully elaborated or expanded.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang made the remarks at a regular press briefing when commenting on U.S. sanctions recently imposed on Iran.
"China has noted that the United States and other parties have unilaterally imposed further sanctions on Iran," said Qin, referring to the new sanctions approved by U.S. President Barack Obama on July 1.
Qin said the relevant parties should continue to work for the resumption of talks.
U.S. President Barack Obama last Thursday signed a new sanction bill against Iran into law, describing it as "striking at the heart" of the Iranian government's nuclear ability.
On June 9, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution, imposing the fourth round of sanctions on Iran since 2006.
The United States and other Western countries worry that Tehran may obtain the uranium fuel needed for nuclear weapons by the same process to purify uranium. The Iranian government insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purpose.
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