Iranian deputy foreign minister Mehdi
Mostafavi speaks with the media in Pretoria, 2006. Iran on Tuesday ruled
out engaging in a "dialogue" with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
at a conference on Iraq's security this week, saying the time was not
right for negotiations. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
TEHRAN, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Iran said Tuesday that it would
not have dialogue with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the upcoming
Iraq conference which to be held in Egypt, slated for May 3-4 in Red Sea resort
of Sharm el-Sheikh, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.
"Considering the current moment, there's no condition
to hold such a dialogue," Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Mostafavi was
quoted as saying.
"The United States can not say they favor
negotiations but at the same time continue their hostile attitude," he added.
"They need to show they want logical and just
relations, our objective is not to just have a dialogue, but to have healthy
relations between the two countries and for that the conditions need to be
created," said Mostafavi.
Moreover, Government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham
also said "the question of talks with America is not serious." "The current
problem will not be resolved if the United States does not give up its attitude
and oppressive and satanic vision," the spokesman was quoted by Iran's local
Mehr news agency assaying.
Iran has announced that its Foreign Minister
Manouchehr Mottaki would head a large delegation to attend the neighboring
states' meeting on Iraq this week.
Last week, the U.S. State Department also confirmed
that Rice would attend the international conference due to be held in Egypt. In
the meantime, U.S. President George W. Bush said Rice would be "polite but
firm." if she encounters Mottaki.
In addition to six neighboring states, the Iraqi
Foreign Ministry has also invited UN Security Council's five permanent members
of Russia, China, France, Britain and the United States, and representatives of
G8 industrialized nations, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Arab
League plus Egypt and Bahrain to attend the Sharm el-Sheikh gathering.
It was reported that Iran had initially been
irresolute to join the meeting, because Tehran had been quite angry on the
detention by U.S. forces of five Iranians seized in a raid in northern Iraq in
January.
WASHINGTON, May 1 (Xinhua)-- U.S. President George W. Bush
said Tuesday that the coming international conference on Iraq's security will
test both Iran and Syria's seriousness to play constructive role in Iraq.
"Iran and Syria have been invited to attend. This will be
an important test of whether these regimes are truly interested in playing a
constructive role in Iraq," Bush said in a speech TAMPA, Florida.
Print
