Iran's top nuclear negotiator said yesterday that his country is still studying the contents of an international nuclear package, dashing hopes that Tehran would be able to respond prior to this Saturday's G8 summit as requested by the West. 

 

"I see no reason for being skeptical. We must allow more time for negotiations to work. That could be a very important negotiation for the region," Ali Larijani told a press conference at the Iranian embassy in Brussels.

 

 

Larijani had just concluded a meeting with Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy and security chief.

 

After the reception of the proposal crafted by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, several committees were established to study its contents, said Larijani.

 

"We are waiting for the results of their work," he said through an interpreter, adding that Tehran would communicate these results to the EU once they are available.

 

"Of course we insist that the work (of the committees) be done as soon as possible, because reaching understanding is in the interests of all sides."

 

He said patience is needed for negotiations of such scale.

 

"We must be patient because we are going to do a big job. These negotiations can be finally a win-win situation for Europe and Iran," said Larijani.

 

"Iran can guarantee, for example, energy security for Europe. It 's not a very small thing. So we have to take into consideration all dimensions of the negotiations. Then we are going to achieve very ambitious goals in the negotiations."

 

He did not elaborate on how Iran can guarantee energy security for Europe.

 

Larijani asked for "tremendous efforts" from both the EU and Iran to create "a very positive ground" for negotiations.

 

"It is not very difficult to disrupt negotiations by taking harsh or radical approaches," he warned.

 

Britain, France and Germany have been in negotiations with Iran on behalf of the EU for more than two years.

 

Larijani also met Solana last Thursday for preliminary talks, which the Iranians say are intended for the removal of ambiguities in the international offer.

 

Pressed for specifying the ambiguities, Larijani said he could say nothing as the text of the international proposal has not been made public.

 

But he insisted the ambiguities must be removed first before Tehran can respond to the offer.

 

He would not say whether Iran would yield on the issue of suspension of uranium enrichment, a key condition for the resumption of talks. The negotiations would provide a "theater" to solve these issues, he said.

 

He insisted that Iran's rights under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) should not be compromised.

 

"Every country has certain obligations and certain rights in accordance with the NPT," he said.

 

"Maybe some countries believe that they can endorse our rights provided that we are not going to enjoy these rights. This is not a good position."

 

The US accuses Iran of a secret program to produce nuclear weapons. Iran has said its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

 

"The question of nuclear bomb is a big lie," said Larijani, "because we are undertaking our research at lab level. All scientists know that with research work we cannot build a nuclear bomb."

 

He said nuclear bomb has no place in Iran's defense and security doctrine and that Tehran can still maintain its influence in the Islamic world without a nuclear bomb.

 

"We do not need such means of deterrence," he said.

 

He insisted that his country has done nothing wrong in the direction of its nuclear program.

 

The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has said it is not being able to determine whether or not Iran has hidden activities or hidden materials owing to the lack of access to documents, scientists and limited scope of inspection.

 

The two rounds of talks with Solana have obviously failed to make any breakthrough although Larijani said they had discussed "central issues."

 

Right after yesterday's meeting Solana said that he will meet today representatives of the six countries that have crafted the package for Iran -- Britain, France, Germany, the US, Russia and China.

 

"We will make (an) analysis ... and we will see how to proceed," he said.

 

Larijani said on the same occasion that the talks will be a "long process" and that patience is needed.

 

Both men refused to take any questions from the reporters.

 

The international nuclear package, which was presented to Iranian leaders by Solana on June 6, was designed to lure Iran to the suspension of uranium enrichment in return for political and economic incentives and nuclear technological assistance.

 

Uranium enrichment is a crucial step in the nuclear fuel cycle to make atomic bombs. In return for Iran's suspension of uranium enrichment, the West has promised to provide Iran with a modern light-water reactor and guaranteed supply of fuel.

 

Iran has said it favors a solution through negotiations, but has refused to take the suspension of uranium enrichment as a precondition for talks.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 12, 2006)