Iran rejects talks on Iraq with US: No precondition for N-dialogue
TEHRAN, June 18: Iran confirmed on Sunday it would not be holding direct talks on Iraq with the United States, but said it was Washington’s “unreasonable” attitude that was to blame.
“Talking to the United States is not on the agenda,” foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters, the day after visiting Iraqi leader Abdel Aziz al-Hakim issued a fresh call for Iran-US dialogue.
“Because we respect Mr Hakim, we had accepted his request to talk with the United States, but the Americans have shown an unreasonable and inappropriate attitude which makes discussions impossible,” Mr Asefi said.
“At first they were supposed to talk, which did not happen due to certain issues. We hope Iran and the United States have a dialogue both about Iraq and the nuclear issue,” he added.
NUCLEAR TALK: Iran said on Sunday it would not accept any “preconditions” for fresh international talks over its disputed nuclear programme, implicitly rejecting demands that it suspend sensitive uranium enrichment work.
“Dialogue must be without preconditions, because any precondition limits the framework of the dialogue and does not allow results to be achieved,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.
“Iran will not give up its rights. One cannot fix preconditions to hold negotiations without taking into account the position of the other party,” he added.
“If the European act with logic and reason, the chances for a result are there. If the Europeans respect our rights, they will have greater credibility. It is about logic, and not dignity,” Mr Asefi said.
CHINA: Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao meanwhile put fresh weight behind the offer.
“We believe the Iran nuclear issue needs to be resolved through diplomatic channels,” Wen told reporters after meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo.
ANNAN: UN chief Kofi Annan said the government of Iran is looking “seriously” at the offer.
“We do have an opportunity to really move ahead and resolve this issue diplomatically,” Mr Annan said in Copenhagen after a meeting with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.—AFP
