Iran ready to interact if US is honest: Salehi
Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi
Tue Apr 23, 2013 10:25AM GMT
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Referring to the latest negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group of powers, Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said that EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton agreed to inform Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili of the outcome of her subsequent talks with the foreign ministers of the P5+1 (Russia, China, France, Britain, the US and Germany), but unfortunately failed to do so.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi says Tehran is prepared for interaction if Washington shows honesty in its actions.
“If they (Americans) are sincere in what they say, as we have announced, we will be ready to interact,” Salehi said on Tuesday.
On April 17, a group of 35 former US diplomats, military officers and other officials, from both Republican and Democratic Parties, advised the US administration in a letter to step up diplomatic efforts regarding Iran.
Former Republican Senator Richard Lugar, former CIA Director Michael Hayden, former US Ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan Ryan Crocker and former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski were among the individuals who signed the letter.
Referring to the latest negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group of powers, Salehi said that EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton agreed to inform Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili of the outcome of her subsequent talks with the foreign ministers of the P5+1 (Russia, China, France, Britain, the US and Germany), but unfortunately failed to do so.
The Iranian foreign minister further said expressing readiness for interaction only for publicity purposes and not taking any action is a “serious mistake.”
On April 18, US Secretary of State John Kerry warned the Congress that imposing new sanctions on Iran two months before Iran’s presidential election could undermine diplomatic efforts regarding Tehran’s nuclear energy program.
“You need to leave us the window to try to work the diplomatic channel,” Kerry told the Congress.
The United States, the Israeli regime and some of their allies falsely claim that Iran is pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program. Washington and the European Union have used the unfounded claim as a pretext to impose illegal sanctions on Iran.
Tehran categorically rejects the allegation and maintains that it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
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