Saeed Jalili: If given fuel, perhaps Iran would have suspended nuclear activity

Azerbaijan, Baku, May 17 / Trend S.Isayev, T. Jafarov/ If back then we would have been given the 20 percent enriched fuel, we probably would not be pursuing the enrichment ourselves, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili said at the first national "Economic Resistance" conference in Tehran, IRINN reported live. "When we were denied to be provided with fuel for medicine, we said Iran would enrich it by itself," Jalili said. "I will never forget the smiles on people's faces at that meeting." Jalili recalled that Iran was facing certain preconditions, that the country did not accept, having decided to enrich the 20 percent fuel by itself. "They said it would take us two years to produce this fuel, and the preconditions were that we would be given this fuel if we suspend our actitivies," Jalili said. "It was not an easy thing to do, make 20 percent enriched fuel, and our friends in atomic energy field knew that," Jalili noted. "Yet, we've been able to produce the fuel ourselves in less than two years, after the calculations and work done by late scientist Majid Shahriari." Jalili underscored that today Iran is able to enrich fuel by itself and produce medicine. "Iran is so progressed today because of its resistance to monopoly," Jalili said. "They simply try to pressure our nation, as they oppose the progress of Iranian people". Jalili urged Western states not to underestimate Iran. He also mentioned the upcoming nuclear talks between Iran and the "5+1" group next week, noting that Western officials should be careful with their statements. "Statements of some western officials after the Istanbul nuclear negotiations were a mistake," Jalili said. "It is important so that these mistakes would not repeat in the future". Iran's top nuclear negotiator noted that Iran is ready for upcoming talks in Baghdad and is ready to cooperate. Iran and the six world powers resumed negotiations in Istanbul on April 14 after a year of stalled talks and are due to continue their negotiations in Iraq's capital city, Baghdad, on May 23. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az