Iran not to accept any precondition to nuclear talks
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E-mail Xinhua, April 9, 2012
Iran's Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said Monday that his country will not accept any precondition to the nuclear talks between Iran and the UN Security Council's five permanent members plus Germany (P5+1) slated for April 14 in Turkey's Istanbul, local satellite Press TV reported.
"Setting conditions before the meeting means drawing conclusions before negotiations, which is completely meaningless, and none of the parties will accept conditions set before the talks," Salehi was quoted as saying.
The New York Times reported Sunday that the United States and its Western allies would set demands for the upcoming negotiations on Iran's disputed nuclear program.
The demands include immediate closure of the Fordo nuclear facility in central Iran and a freeze on 20-percent uranium enrichment, according to the New York Times.
"These issues are merely media speculations and we cannot base our judgment on issues reflected in the media," Salehi added.
Both sides have their own views and stances and "we must reach common grounds" in the nuclear talks, he was quoted as saying.
Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Fereidoon Abbasi said Sunday that Iran will not stop high-grade uranium enrichment, however, Iran will not enrich 20-percent uranium beyond its needs, because it is not cheap to produce and to keep it.
"We will produce (20-percent uranium) to the amount to meet the needs of Tehran research reactors and the reactors that we are planning to build in future," said Abbasi.
Abbasi also said that Iran will not close down the underground Fordo enrichment site near the central city of Qom under the West' s pressure.
"The demands of P5+1 to suspend the (enrichment) activities in Fordo site is illogical," said the Iranian atomic chief, adding that building a nuclear site underground is a countermove to the strike threats by some countries.
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