Iran ready to talk fuel swap

Top Iranian diplomat Ali Baqeri says Tehran is ready to hold talks regarding the nuclear fuel swap issue within the framework of mutual cooperation.

“[EU foreign policy chief] Catherine Ashton proposed to bring the fuel swap issue to a conclusion as a symbolic achievement,” Deputy Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) said on Sunday.

“Iran accepted [the proposal] … but announced that unless the swap issue is considered a cooperative issue Iran has no motive to enter this matter,” ISNA quoted Baqeri as saying.

Iran and the P5+1 — the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany — wrapped up their second round of comprehensive talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Saturday.

The Iranian delegation was headed by Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili and Ashton chaired representatives from the six world powers.

“In the Saturday meeting with some of the members of the Vienna Group — France, Russia, the US, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) — we stressed that Iran does not need fuel swap and what prompts Iran to negotiate on the issue is cooperation not necessity.”

“These talks could continue in the future and there is no obstacle, but the P5+1 should be given an opportunity to reach a conclusion for cooperation,” Baqeri said.

The US and its allies accuse Iran of developing a military nuclear program, and used this pretext to pressure the UN Security Council to impose a fourth round of sanctions against Iran’s financial and military sectors in June.

Iranian officials have repeatedly refuted the charges, arguing that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the IAEA, Tehran has a right to use peaceful nuclear technology.