World
  |
|
Iran still defiant as UN envoy holds nuclear talks
By Farhad Pouladi
AFP
TEHRAN
Petroleumworld.com 07 12 07The deputy head of the UN atomic watchdog began talks in Tehran on Wednesday in a new bid to resolve the standoff over Iran's nuclear drive, but President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remained defiant despite mounting pressure for more UN sanctions.
Ahmadinejad insisted Iran would not halt uranium enrichment, the process at the centre of Western fears that it is seeking atomic weapons, but welcomed the latest talks.
"The trend of installing centrifuges could be slowed down or gain momentum, this is a executive issue, but no-one should expect that we will give up our rights, and we will not halt the trend," Ahmadinejad said.
His comments came after Olli Heinonen, the deputy head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), arrived in Tehran in a bid to shape a plan to resolve "outstanding issues" over Iran's nuclear programme.
Iran has been slapped with two sets of UN sanctions over its failure to freeze enrichment.
Heinonen began talks with Iranian officials headed by Javad Vaidi, assistant director of Iran's National Security Supreme Council in charge of international affairs, the state news agency IRNA said.The Iranian team also included Mohammad Saidi, deputy director of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation, and Ali-Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's ambassador to the IAEA.
IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei had said on Monday that Iran has slowed the expansion of its uranium enrichment work.
" We have seen a fairly slow development in commissioning new cascades," he said, referring to the installation of centrifuges which enrich uranium into fuel for civilian reactors or, in a highly refined state, nuclear bomb material.
Ahamadinejad reiterated his position that Tehran had the right to nuclear technology under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iran denies it is trying to build the bomb and insists its nuclear programme is aimed solely at making fuel for its growing energy needs.
" We want the full rights of our people and we will not give up an iota of our rights," he said. "We are going to go ahead according to our plans. We welcome the talks and we are ready to answer any ambiguities they have through negotiations."
The IAEA delegation, which includes legal, political and technical officials, is also due to meet national security chief and top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani.
" We hope that these intensive and positive talks, which demonstrate a positive and fundamental step by the Islamic republic of Iran, bear fruit," said Soltanieh.
However, Iranian officials said Heinonen will not be inspecting any nuclear sites, such as the underground plant at Natanz where uranium enrichment is carried out.
ElBaradei has said that "drawing up a plan of action" should take 60 days. Implementation would then begin on resolving questions about Iranian nuclear activities that could have military applications.
He said that after talks in Vienna with Larijani on June 24 he hoped to "try to move as fast as possible, try to look into some of the present difficulties we are having.
"So I still very much hope that we should be able to come with at least an indication of a serious commitment by Iran to move forward," ElBaradei said.
Tehran's refusal to address IAEA questions and its resumption of enrichment activities, which it had suspended for more than two years, prompted the world body to refer Iran to the UN Security Council in February 2006 and since then has adopted three resolutions demanding that Iran suspend enrichment, and has imposed two sets of sanctions.
On Monday, a US think-tank reported that commercial satellite imagery indicated Iran is tunneling into a mountain near the Natanz complex, possibly to protect the facility production against air attack.
Britain has said it will press for a third UN resolution to tighten sanctions on Iran if it continues to defy calls to suspend enrichment, while US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has refused to rule out military action.
AFP 11 1302 GMT 07 07
Copyright© 2007 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
Your
feedback is important to us!
We invite all our readers to share with us
their views and comments about this article.
Write to editor@petroleumworld.com
Any
question or suggestions, please write to:
editor@petroleumworld.com
Best
Viewed with IE
5.01+
Windows
NT 4.0, '95, '98 and ME +/ 800x600 pixels