JAKARTA, Feb 23: Iran is ready to compromise in talks with Russia about its plan to resolve tensions over Tehran’s nuclear programme provided certain conditions are met, its foreign minister said on Thursday.
“With such an understanding (on timing and place), I believe the Russian proposal can be considered seriously and maybe reach some kind of compromise,” Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters in Indonesia.
He said that Iran believed “that we should move from here to the compromise... (but) in our understanding there must be some new elements clear in that proposal”.
Specifically, Mottaki said that four elements in the proposal were necessary but “if you ask me about the main elements, I will tell you, timing and place”.
Russia is proposing that it enrich uranium for use as nuclear fuel jointly with Iran at a site on Russian territory in a bid to defuse the growing tensions.
He said Iran insisted it had the right to possess nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and that “the time for terse language is over. The time for (the) unilateral approach of some specific countries is over”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that talks with Iran in Moscow were making little progress but he was still hoping for a positive outcome.
Mottaki also said the issue of confidence-building remained important.
“We believe confidence building is a two-way road, not one way-road,” he said, adding that Iran had already cooperated with “countries who have used the nuclear bomb in the war, the countries who created two international and world wars”.
“But from the other side also, we should receive confidence-building,” he added, speaking after meeting his Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirayuda.
Wirayuda told reporters at their joint press conference that Indonesia wanted to see a diplomatic resolution reached.
“We should give enough room for the negotiation process to take place and... reach a diplomatic solution on the Iran nuclear issue so that it will not create unnecessary new tension in the region,” he said.—AFP
