India Reiterates Iran’s Right to Access N. Technology

Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid once again underlined Iran’s indispensable right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and called on Tehran and the world powers to boost cooperation to resolve the standoff over the former’s nuclear program.

The issue was raised in meeting between Khurshid and Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani in Tehran on Saturday.

The senior Indian Diplomat highlighted New Delhi’s support for Iran’s entitlement to a peaceful nuclear program, adding talks between Iran and the G5+1 (Russia, China, France, Britain, the US plus Germany) should be transparent and held on an equal footing.

In April, Iran and the G5+1 wrapped up two days of intensive negotiations in Kazakhstan’s Almaty after the delegations of the world powers demanded further consultations with their capitals.

The Iranian team was led by Iran’s Top Negotiator Saeed Jalili, who is also the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), and the G5+1’s representatives were presided by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

Western media raised some speculations that the continuation of talks would depend on the upcoming presidential election in Iran, and that nothing substantial would take place under the present conditions.

Following the Almaty talks, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast described the meetings with the world powers in Kazakhstan as “positive”, and said Tehran is waiting for the opposite side’s response to its proposals.

“The two sides’ comments described as positive the start of straightforward and serious expression of views, and to take a correct step, our officials expressed their views and the Group 5+1 should now respond,” Mehman-Parast said at a weekly press conference in Tehran.

“We are (now) waiting for Mrs. Ashton’s response and her consultations with the G5+1,” he added.

Iran had announced a day prior to the start of the talks that it would enter the negotiations with the G5+1 with clear, groundbreaking proposals.

Iran has so far ruled out halting or limiting its nuclear work in exchange for trade and other incentives, saying that renouncing its rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) would encourage the world powers to put further pressure on the country and would not lead to a change in the West’s hardline stance on Tehran.

Iran is under four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions for turning down west’s calls to give up its right of uranium enrichment. The United States and the European Union have ratcheted up their sanctions on Iran this year to force it to curb its nuclear program.

Iranian officials have always shrugged off the sanctions, saying that pressures make them strong and reinvigorate their resolve to further move towards self-sufficiency.