Ahmadinejad says talks offer chance for ‘change’

With one day ahead of a planned meeting between Iran and the major world powers, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the Islamic Republic is ready for any outcome of the talks.

“Iran has prepared itself for any condition. Our nation has learnt over the past 30 years to stand on its own feet and change any circumstance to its benefit,” Ahmadinejad told reporters Wednesday.

“The negotiators can definitely follow up any policy that they want, but we will not be harmed. We, however, prefer friendship and interaction (in the upcoming talks),” he added.

Ahmadinejad’s remarks came ahead of scheduled talks between Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and representatives of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the US — plus Germany (P5+1) on global issues as well as Iran’s rifts with some Western countries in Geneva on Thursday.

The president voiced Iran’s readiness to hold long-term discussions with the P5+1 “should talks follow a goal and bear fruits”.

Ahmadinejad described the Geneva talks as an “exceptional opportunity” for a few European countries and the US to “amend the way they interact with other world nations.”

He said Iran’s latest package of proposals presented to the six countries included comprehensive topics about international issues including global disarmament.

“There are tens of thousands of atomic bombs in the world, which are the real threats,” he said. “If the international disarmament is to be seriously addressed, it should not be carried out by countries that possess huge arsenals of nuclear weapons. The world needs a new strategy regarding the case.”

Ahmadinejad deplored remarks by leaders of Britain, France and the US about Iran’s Fordu nuclear facility which is currently under construction.

“The leaders of these countries made a historic mistake because we have always cooperated with the International Atomic Energy Agency,” he said.

“Leaders of these countries thought they could raise a hue and cry over the new plant, but they failed.”

“When we announced (the existence of the plant) to the IAEA, it means that we are telling the agency to come to Iran and inspect the site,” he said. “After this they also said Iran must give access to the facility as quickly as possible. Who are you to tell the agency and Iran what to do?”

Iran announced the existence of Fordu nuclear plant 12 months earlier than the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations oblige member states to inform the UN nuclear watchdog of new developments.

Iran faces pressure to halt its nuclear enrichment activities, as some Western countries, under pressure from the US and Israel, claim that its program is aimed at building a nuclear bomb.

Tehran, however, has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons and has called for the dismantling of all weapons of mass destruction across the globe.

Iran says that major powers particularly the US, Britain and France have and continue to deceive the world nations by violating the Non-Proliferation Treaty articles during the last 40 years.