ATHENS, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Iran's visiting Foreign
Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Sunday called for the use of diplomatic means in
solving Iran's nuclear issue.
He made the appeal at an exclusive interview with the
ANA-MPA news agency on the Greek Aegean island of Samos, where he attended a
meeting of the presidium of the Socialist International.
Mottaki said the Iranian government was examining the
six-nation package of proposals which was submitted by China, France, Germany,
Russia, the United States and Britain.
"We hope that the existing positive climate will be
preserved, on the basis of the solution of the problem through diplomatic means
and negotiations, so that, in a good climate, we can reach a solution that will
benefit all the sides," he said.
"A result that on the one hand will recognize Iran's
legal right to the development of nuclear technology, while on the other hand
will help overcome the others' concerns over the prospect of a diversion from
the program to the construction of weapons of mass destruction," said the
minister.
Mottaki once again denied accusations that his country was behind the recent
attacks on Israel launched by the Lebanese militia Hezbollah.
He also warned that a possible attack by Israel against
Syria could turn the entire region into a war zone and rally the Arab and Muslim
world even more closely against Israel. Enditem
Special reports:
G8 urges Iran to respond
positively to nuclear proposals
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, July 16 (Xinhua) -- G8
leaders said on Sunday that they supported the decision to return the Iranian
nuclear issue to the UN Security Council and urged Tehran to respond positively
to incentives made on June 6.
"We stand fully behind the far reaching proposals
presented to Iran on June 6, 2006 on behalf of China, France, Germany, Russia,
the United Kingdom, the United States of America with the support of the High
Representative of the European Union for a long-term comprehensive agreement
with Iran based on cooperation and mutual respect," a joint statement said. Full story>>
Chinese president calls for
resuming talks on Iran nuke issue
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese
President Hu Jintao on Sunday urged various parties to resume negotiation to
resolve the Iranian nuclear issue.
Hu, who arrived at St. Petersburg on Sunday to attend
the outreach session of the G8 summit, made the call when he met U.S. President
George W. Bush. Full story>>
Iran warns return of nuke
issue to UNSC may derail future negotiations
TEHRAN, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry
spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi warned on Sunday that the referral of the nuclear
issue back to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) could derail any
possible future negotiations and would block the path of dialogue.
"If the issue is returned to the UN Security Council,
the future negotiations will be derailed, obviously the Security Council is not
a constructive track," Asefi told reporters at his weekly press
conference. Full story>>
Iran decides to refuse request
for enrichment suspension
TEHRAN, July 15 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian official said on
Saturday that the country's leadership was determined to refuse the West's
request for a halt of sensitive nuclear activities, the semi-official Mehr news
agency reported.
"The West has raised two preconditions in a proposal
-- freezing nuclear activities and responding to questions raised by the Board
of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," Abdolreza
Rahmani-Fazli, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was
quoted as saying. Full
story>>
