Iran Rejects Nuclear Talks With Preconditions

NUKEWARS

"Instead of talking about negotiations and setting conditions, the Europeans would be better off resuming the talks because they were ones who cut them off," Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.

Tehran (AFP) Oct 04, 2005
Iran said Tuesday it would not accept resuming negotiations with Britain, France and Germany on its nuclear programme if the EU continued to insist the Islamic republic abandon fuel cycle work.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran will not accept any negotiations with preconditions attached," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.

"Instead of talking about negotiations and setting conditions, the Europeans would be better off resuming the talks because they were ones who cut them off," he added.

Iran has in recent months hardened its position in its nuclear stand-off with the West by rejecting proposals that it abandon fuel cycle technology in return for incentives and by resuming uranium conversion work in defiance of an agreement with Britain, France and Germany.

Tehran insists its nuclear programme it strictly peaceful and argues that fuel cycle work is a right for any signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

But the European Union and United States want Iran to abandon work related to uranium enrichment -- which can be diverted to military use.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last month adopted a resolution that finds Iran in "non-compliance" with nuclear proliferation safeguards -- an automatic trigger for taking the matter to the UN Security Council.

All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.

NUKEWARS

Iran Issues Threat To US Interests

Tehran (AFP) Oct 03, 2005
Iran will use "all means" to damage US interests if Washington steps up the pressure on the Islamic republic over its disputed nuclear programme, a top official was quoted as saying Monday.

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.