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Iran nuclear programme aimed at peaceful uses: vice president
AFP
NEW DELHI
Petroleumworld.com 03 28 06Visiting Iranian Vice President Rahim Mashaee denied Monday that his country is developing weapons under the cover of its nuclear programme, saying it is aimed at power generation.
"We have nuclear technology developed one hundred percent indigenously. How can one attack the nuclear technology? We are not hiding any nuclear bomb," Mashaee was quoted as telling reporters by the Press Trust of India news agency.
The United States and its allies charge that Iran's nuclear programme conceals an effort to develop weapons and have urged it to halt sensitive uranium enrichment activities. Iran vehemently denies the charges.
The UN Security Council is deadlocked over Iran's nuclear programme, with Russia and China, two of the five veto-wielding permanent members, refusing to consider sanctions against ally and major trading partner Iran.
In New Delhi, Mashaee said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured him of India's support on "certain principles" like Iran's peaceful use of nuclear technology.
"The prime minister has said that India is for a peaceful solution of the issue," said Mashaee, who met Singh on Saturday.
India, which has nuclear weapons, voted last month to refer Iran to the UN Security Council on the issue.
On energy cooperation between India and Iran, Mashaee promised New Delhi "good news" on an agreement which the two countries signed last June for the supply of natural gas to India.
The deal worth 22 billion dollars is for Tehran to supply five million tonnes of liquefied natural gas annually over a 25-year period from 2009.
Mashaee said Iran's oil minister Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh would be visiting India soon to finalise details.
AFP 27 03 06 1225 GMTCopyright © 1994-2006 Agence France-Presse. All Rights Reserved.
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