ID :
92745
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 15:39
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/92745
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Iran has grievances with Russia, China
TEHRAN, Dec. 2 (MNA) – Iran has “serious grievances” with Russia and China for voting in favor of the IAEA Board of Governors’ resolution against Iran; however, Iran said its strategic relationship with China and Russia will not change.
“Our strategic relationship with the two countries will not change but we have serious grievances with their actions in the Board of Governors,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told a weekly news briefing.
“We have extensive cooperation with Russia and this country has a high status in our foreign policy and therefore we have high expectation from this country,” he added.
In a separate interview with the Mehr News Agency, the spokesman said, “Iran has had regular consultations and dialogues with Russians and this country is fully aware of the peaceful nature of these nuclear activities.”
Mehmanparast said Russia’s vote for the resolution has raised certain questions and it must give “answer” about its action and express its position clearly.
Hasty reaction
Mehmanparast also responded to certain countries which have reacted to a decision by Tehran to build ten new nuclear enrichment plants, calling their reaction “hasty which indicates their anger”.
He said when there is no guarantee to buy nuclear fuel from abroad Iran has no alternative other than plan to be self-sufficient in producing nuclear fuel.
The decision to work out a plan to build new enrichment plants was not something unnatural which prompted a “hasty reaction” by certain countries, he noted.
He added the Majlis has ratified a bill obliging the government to produce 20,000 megawatts of nuclear electricity in the coming years and obviously uranium enrichment plants should be built to feed nuclear reactors which must be built to produce that amount of nuclear electricity.
Exchange of nuclear fuel still on table
The spokesman also said the proposal for exchange of nuclear fuel for the Tehran nuclear research reactor is still on the table.
The option “to exchange nuclear fuel has not been rejected,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told a regular news briefing.
However, the spokesman insisted that the option to produce nuclear fuel at home with a purity of 20 percent for the reactor is open.
The spokesman cited an example saying as Iran will naturally increase its production of gasoline in case the country faces problems to import it the same is true about providing fuel for the Tehran reactor.
“Facing a problem to import does not mean that the path to produce at home is closed,” Mehmanparast explained.
He said Iran has requested the International Atomic Energy Agency to provide fuel for the reactor but the issue has been unfortunately caught up in “political disputes” and normally Iran cannot link provision of nuclear fuel to the reactor to “political decisions” by other countries.
According to a deal drafted by the IAEA, Iran would exchange a large consignment of its low-enriched uranium for 20 percent enriched uranium for the Tehran reactor, which produces radioisotopes for medical treatment.
President Ahmadinejad also declared on Sunday that the cabinet will study the option to produce nuclear fuel for the Tehran research reactor at a meeting on Wednesday.
The decision was made because the 5+1 group (China, the United States, Russia, France, Britain, and Germany) has so far failed to respond to Iran’s latest proposal, according to which Tehran requires a 100 percent guarantee that it will receive the 20 percent enriched uranium if it agrees to a trade for its low-enriched uranium.
Startup of Bushehr plant
Citing Russian sources, Reuters said on Monday that Moscow plans to start up the Bushehr nuclear power station in March 2010 to coincide with the Iranian New Year.
However, Mehmanparast said there is no difference about the date announced recently for the startup of the plant by the Russian side and the date announced previously.
“The date announced for the completion of the plant by Russia in recent talks has no contradiction with the date announced previously.”
Iran writes letter to IAEA board members
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has sent separate letters to all 35 countries sitting on the IAEA Board of Governors and announced Tehran’s position in accordance with the kind of their vote to the anti-Iran resolution.
The IAEA Board of Governors, under pressure by the West, adopted a resolution against Iran on Friday. The resolution criticized Iran for beginning construction of a new uranium enrichment facility at Fordo and demanded that it immediately halt its construction.
Twenty-five members voted in favor of the resolution. Malaysia, which is the current president of the IAEA Board, Venezuela, and Cuba voted against the resolution, and Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Pakistan, South Africa and Turkey abstained. Azerbaijan Republic missed the vote.
“In the letters Mr. Mottaki has announced his position based on the Board of Governors members’ votes,” Mehmanparast declared.
“The letters to those who tried to incorrectly infringe on our nuclear rights will explain our reasons why their action was incorrect,” he said.
In the letters Mottaki has strongly complained of countries who had voted in favor of the resolution, Mehmanparast explained.
“Our strategic relationship with the two countries will not change but we have serious grievances with their actions in the Board of Governors,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told a weekly news briefing.
“We have extensive cooperation with Russia and this country has a high status in our foreign policy and therefore we have high expectation from this country,” he added.
In a separate interview with the Mehr News Agency, the spokesman said, “Iran has had regular consultations and dialogues with Russians and this country is fully aware of the peaceful nature of these nuclear activities.”
Mehmanparast said Russia’s vote for the resolution has raised certain questions and it must give “answer” about its action and express its position clearly.
Hasty reaction
Mehmanparast also responded to certain countries which have reacted to a decision by Tehran to build ten new nuclear enrichment plants, calling their reaction “hasty which indicates their anger”.
He said when there is no guarantee to buy nuclear fuel from abroad Iran has no alternative other than plan to be self-sufficient in producing nuclear fuel.
The decision to work out a plan to build new enrichment plants was not something unnatural which prompted a “hasty reaction” by certain countries, he noted.
He added the Majlis has ratified a bill obliging the government to produce 20,000 megawatts of nuclear electricity in the coming years and obviously uranium enrichment plants should be built to feed nuclear reactors which must be built to produce that amount of nuclear electricity.
Exchange of nuclear fuel still on table
The spokesman also said the proposal for exchange of nuclear fuel for the Tehran nuclear research reactor is still on the table.
The option “to exchange nuclear fuel has not been rejected,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told a regular news briefing.
However, the spokesman insisted that the option to produce nuclear fuel at home with a purity of 20 percent for the reactor is open.
The spokesman cited an example saying as Iran will naturally increase its production of gasoline in case the country faces problems to import it the same is true about providing fuel for the Tehran reactor.
“Facing a problem to import does not mean that the path to produce at home is closed,” Mehmanparast explained.
He said Iran has requested the International Atomic Energy Agency to provide fuel for the reactor but the issue has been unfortunately caught up in “political disputes” and normally Iran cannot link provision of nuclear fuel to the reactor to “political decisions” by other countries.
According to a deal drafted by the IAEA, Iran would exchange a large consignment of its low-enriched uranium for 20 percent enriched uranium for the Tehran reactor, which produces radioisotopes for medical treatment.
President Ahmadinejad also declared on Sunday that the cabinet will study the option to produce nuclear fuel for the Tehran research reactor at a meeting on Wednesday.
The decision was made because the 5+1 group (China, the United States, Russia, France, Britain, and Germany) has so far failed to respond to Iran’s latest proposal, according to which Tehran requires a 100 percent guarantee that it will receive the 20 percent enriched uranium if it agrees to a trade for its low-enriched uranium.
Startup of Bushehr plant
Citing Russian sources, Reuters said on Monday that Moscow plans to start up the Bushehr nuclear power station in March 2010 to coincide with the Iranian New Year.
However, Mehmanparast said there is no difference about the date announced recently for the startup of the plant by the Russian side and the date announced previously.
“The date announced for the completion of the plant by Russia in recent talks has no contradiction with the date announced previously.”
Iran writes letter to IAEA board members
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has sent separate letters to all 35 countries sitting on the IAEA Board of Governors and announced Tehran’s position in accordance with the kind of their vote to the anti-Iran resolution.
The IAEA Board of Governors, under pressure by the West, adopted a resolution against Iran on Friday. The resolution criticized Iran for beginning construction of a new uranium enrichment facility at Fordo and demanded that it immediately halt its construction.
Twenty-five members voted in favor of the resolution. Malaysia, which is the current president of the IAEA Board, Venezuela, and Cuba voted against the resolution, and Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Pakistan, South Africa and Turkey abstained. Azerbaijan Republic missed the vote.
“In the letters Mr. Mottaki has announced his position based on the Board of Governors members’ votes,” Mehmanparast declared.
“The letters to those who tried to incorrectly infringe on our nuclear rights will explain our reasons why their action was incorrect,” he said.
In the letters Mottaki has strongly complained of countries who had voted in favor of the resolution, Mehmanparast explained.
