|
TEHRAN, Dec. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief Gholamreza Aqazadeh said Monday that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's proposal to allow foreign participation in uranium enrichment was an extraordinary guarantee that Iran would not use the technology to make nuclear weapons.
"President Ahmadinejad's proposal for contribution of
other countries to the enrichment project is far beyond ordinary guarantees
worldwide," Aqazadeh was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying.
Ahmadinejad put forward the proposal in a speech to
the UN general assembly in September in order to make the country's nuclear
activities more transparent, but received cold shoulder from the European Union
(EU), the longtime broker on Iran's nuclear issue.
As Iran and the EU are to resume nuclear talks on
Wednesday in Vienna, Aqazadeh urged the EU to accept Ahmadinejad's proposal.
"If Europeans realize the fact that cooperation with
Iran is the best option under the present conditions, the talks will be
successful for both parties," Aqazadeh said.
Aqazadeh also stressed that Tehran will enter into
talks with Europe "with clear viewpoints, vigorously and seriously", adding that
Iran is "attempting to win the trust of the international community".
Meanwhile, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali
Larijani said Iran insisted on its right to uranium enrichment for peaceful
purposes.
"We hope these negotiations to recognize Iran's
legitimate rights and bear fruitful results," he said.
Larijani revealed that his deputy Javad Veidi would
head the Iranian delegation. The nuclear negotiations between Iran and the EU
broke off after Iran restarted uranium conversion activities, a precursor to
enrichment, in early August in what the EU said breach of the agreement to
suspend all enrichment-related activities.
The EU is expected to persuade Iran to accept a
compromise proposal, which allows Iran to conduct uranium conversion on
condition that the uranium enrichment be moved to Russia in a bid to prevent
Iran from making atom bombs.
However, Tehran refused to give up right to enrich
uranium on its own territory. Enriched uranium can fuel nuclear power plant or
be used to make atom bombs. The United States accuses Iran of developing nuclear
weapons. Tehran rejects the charge and insists its nuclear program is intended
for fully peaceful purposes. Enditem |