January 31, 2006	Tuesday	Muharram 1, 1427

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 30: South Africa, Malaysia and Cuba have affirmed Iran’s right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes ahead of crunch talks in Vienna on Tehran’s atomic programme.

In a statement released by Pretoria after a meeting between the Non-Aligned Movement troika and Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Friday, the NAM reiterated its “principled position concerning... the peaceful uses of nuclear energy”.

“These include in particular reaffirming the basic and inalienable right... to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, without any discrimination and in conformity with their safeguards agreements in connection with the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty),” it said.

The statement comes ahead of a crunch meeting on Thursday of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, which could refer Iran to the UN Security Council.

Tehran this month announced it was resuming uranium enrichment research and broke seals place by UN inspectors on several sites.

Iran argues its nuclear programme is for strictly peaceful purposes, and says it is cooperating with the IAEA.

The United States accuses the Islamic republic of using its nuclear plans as cover to develop an atomic weapon.

VENEZUELA: Venezuela will give its support to Iran over a dispute between Iran and the West about its nuclear programme, the Venezuelan Energy Minister Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said on Monday.

“We are going to express Venezuela’s support to Iran in the nuclear dispute,” Ramirez told reporters, without being more specific.

He emphasised that each country has its own sovereignty, adding: “We’re going to express that clearly to Iran.”—AFP