Speaking at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri after holding talks with President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali, Dr Kharrazi also said Iran’s nuclear programme was totally peaceful and there was no plan for nuclear weapons.
The Iranian foreign minister described his talks with Pakistani leaders as “comprehensive and fruitful.” The talks covered bilateral, regional and international issues, he said, adding that both sides emphasized the need to further economic and regional cooperation as it was in the interest of the region.
During his meeting with the president and the prime minister, the Iranian foreign minister also extended invitations to both the leaders to visit Iran as a follow-up to the invitations extended to them by President Syed Mohammad Khatami during his visit here in December 2002.
The dates would be decided through mutual consultations through diplomatic channels, he said.
During meeting with President Musharraf, Mr Kharrazi also delivered to him a letter from President Khatami.
The Iranian foreign minister said on the bilateral front it was decided to enhance interaction at the political, official and non-governmental level.
“It was decided to have more frequent exchange of visits and consultations between the two countries,” he stated.
Responding to a comment that in the past Pakistan and Iran enjoyed strong ties but now Iran had tilted towards India, Mr Kharrazi said, “we have good relations with both the countries,” making it clear that Iran’s relations with India were not against any third country.
He, however, agreed that relations between Pakistan and Iran needed to “be further developed.”
The Iranian foreign minister discarded the reports that Iran had sought help from India for its nuclear programme. “As there are rumours against Pakistan, there are also rumours against India, but we have no nuclear cooperation with India,” he asserted.
Mr Kharrazi told journalists during his meeting with the president and the prime minister they “talked extensively” on the nuclear issue. He said he explained to both the leaders the peaceful nature and purpose of Iran’s nuclear programme.
The Iranian foreign minister rejected all media reports regarding Pakistan-Iran nuclear cooperation as false and baseless. He saw them as part of a “motivated campaign” to put pressure on Muslim countries, including Pakistan and Iran.
“Our nuclear programme is totally indigenous,” he declared, adding: “When you have knowledge and technology you can do it.”
Dr Kharrazi clearly indicated that Iran had the uranium enrichment facility, saying it was part of the nuclear technology. When asked given the understanding that this technology could also be used for developing nuclear weapons how would Iran convince the international community that it would not be used for that, he said the fact that Iran had agreed to “more severe inspections” (by the UN’s nuclear watchdog on snap inspections of nuclear facilities) demonstrated that it had no plan for producing nuclear weapons.
Though Dr Kharrazi mentioned that Iran had sought certain components for its nuclear programme from outside “through dealers,” he did not specify the country or the countries of the dealers.
Asked if Iran would seek the support of Pakistan and other Muslim countries on its nuclear programme as it was under pressure from the international community, Dr Kharrazi said: “Nuclear issues are technical issues and need not to be politicised, they are verifiable.”
In reply to a question whether Iran felt threatened by the US especially in view of the Iraq episode, he said the US had always threatened Iran and it was nothing new. However, he said, the US should understand that Iran was different from Iraq.
Criticizing the US policies, he said the American presence in the region had not brought security.
Dr Kharrazi said security of Iraq was “very important” to Iran from its own national security perspective. He advocated transfer of all issues of Iraq to the United Nations. He said the UN should be given full charge of the Iraqi affairs, saying that was the best way to deal with the volatile situation in Iraq.
He was of the view that a nuclear-free zone had to be developed in the Middle East and the sub-continent.
Asked if Iran supported the idea of sending troops to Iraq under the OIC cover, he replied in the negative, saying it would instead favour sending troops under the UN auspices.
In what was seen as the first public acknowledgement by any Islamic country of Russia’s request for the status of an OIC observer, Dr Kharrazi said Iran would be open to it. He made this disclosure when asked to state Iran’s position on this question.
Initially, he avoided giving a direct answer, saying it would have to be decided by all OIC members as consensus was required.
However, when pressed, he added: “In general we do not mind Russia becoming an observer since it has a large number of Muslims.”
Later, when Mr Kasuri was asked whether Pakistan would support or block the Russian move, he remained evasive. He said Pakistan enjoyed good relations with Russia and it would look into the matter when a formal request was made.
In his opening statement at the joint press conference Mr Kasuri said: “Both countries have an abiding and profound interest in consolidating and expanding their bilateral cooperation in all spheres.” He said both the delegations discussed ways and means to enhance bilateral economic and trade relations.
“We also emphasized the need for prompt and full implementation of agreements signed during President Khatami’s visit to Pakistan and the decisions of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Ministerial Commission,” the foreign minister said.
He said both sides had expressed concern over “false and inaccurate” reports in the media alleging transfer of sensitive nuclear technology from Pakistan to Iran.
“Pakistan has never supplied in any manner whatsoever any assistance for Iran’s nuclear programme,” was Mr Kasuri’s emphatic assertion.
Articulating Pakistan’s position on Iran’s nuclear programme, he said: “Pakistan supports the right of Iran to develop its peaceful nuclear programme, concomitant to its adherence of its obligations under the arms control and disarmament agreements that it is party to.”
Stating that Pakistan was opposed to coercive measures, he said any doubts or disagreements undertaken by states through control and disarmament agreements, should be peacefully resolved through the mechanisms for dispute settlement laid down in the relevant agreements/ treaties.
Mr Kasuri said both sides agreed that lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan were in the interest of Pakistan and Iran as well as the region. Also, the United Nations should be allowed to play a more prominent and effective role in Iraq.
He told journalists he also briefed his counterpart on efforts made by Pakistan for engagement with India and underlined that India should agree to resume composite dialogue. In this context, he reiterated that Pakistan would give full support to an Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline.
Earlier, the Iranian minister, who was accompanied by a member of the Islamic Consultative Committee and senior officials of the Iranian ministries, held detailed discussions with Mr Kasuri, Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar and other senior officials at the Foreign Office.