Iran Wants Nuclear Talks To Continue, Says Velayati

Head of the Center for Strategic Research of Iran’s Expediency Council, Ali-Akbar Velayati, said Saturday that Iran wants to go ahead with negotiations with the West over its nuclear program, IRNA reported.

Velayati, also an advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on international affairs, was speaking to reporters after a meeting in Tehran with visiting French Foreign Ministry’s Middle East Affairs Department Director-General R. Jirough.

Iran will not wait for permission of anyone in its efforts to protect its inalienable right to nuclear technology, Velayati said.

Since the very beginning of nuclear talks with world powers, Iran has always said it is ready to engage in constructive talks to negotiate an end to the decade-long dispute with the West, Velayati added.

He noted that Tehran supports the Iranian negotiating team as long as they act within the frameworks of the guidelines of the Supreme Leader. What he said they have done so far, he added.

Referring to the last round of nuclear talks in Vienna, during which six world powers and Iran failed to agree on drafting a deal that aims to provide a comprehensive solution to the countryˈs nuclear issue, Velayati said the talks were difficult.

ˈAs far as I’m concerned the Iranian negotiators did their best,ˈ he said.

He said that the nuclear talks will be resumed next month and expressed hope that the next round of talks would yield good results.

Velayati stressed he didn’t believe the talks with the West had reached a stalemate.

Westˈs realistic approach a must for success of nuclear talks with Iran

Meanwhile, President of Russia’s National and International Security Foundation Major General Leonid Shershnev has said a realistic approach by Group 5+1 in talks with Iran is a must for its success.

The Russian analyst made the remarks in an exclusive interview with IRNA while commenting on the latest round of talks between Iran and the six big powers (US, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany) in Vienna.

The fourth round of nuclear talks between Iran and the G5+1, also known as Vienna 4, ended on May 16 in the Austrian capital with no tangible progress. The sides decided to continue their talks in June.

The Vienna 4 talks focused on drafting a final nuclear agreement that would ultimately provide a comprehensive solution to the Iranian nuclear issue by the end of the six-month deadline set by an interim accord signed in November 2013.

Noting that the talks were held in a peaceful atmosphere, Shreshnev said Iran was entitled to insist on its legitimate nuclear rights as a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) during the Vienna 4 talks.

Vienna 4 has proved that Iran and the G5+1 are closer to a final agreement than ever before, said the Russian analyst.

He stressed that Iran‘s present nuclear program poses no threat to any country and is not a source of concern for others.

Shreshnev stressed the need for immediate lifting of unilateral and illegal sanctions imposed on Iran for its peaceful nuclear program.

He expressed hope that removal of all anti-Iran sanctions would lead to better cooperation with Iran by other countries, Russia in particular.

R.S