Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Larijani on Thursday announced that his country would hold talks with the EU3 before the next International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting on Iran's nuclear program. At a press conference in the Iranian embassy in Moscow, he said Tehran was determined to negotiate with representatives of the three major European states (Britain, Germany, France) before the IAEA holds its next session on March 6.
"In order to defend our rights within the framework of international rules and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), we are ready to negotiate with the European states," he added, according to IRNA. The meeting will likely be held on Friday.
European Union High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana will attend the meeting between foreign ministers of the EU-3 and Iranian officials in Vienna on Friday, EU sources in Brussels confirmed IRNA Thursday. "We want to listen to what the Iranian side has to say," said the sources.
Larijani added the Americans do not want Russia to be successful in its nuclear proposal to enrich uranium for Iran since they do not like the idea of Moscow playing a significant role in resolving Iran's nuclear case.
On the idea of Iran suspending its nuclear activities, Larijani said: "We do not see the need since all our activities are based on international rules and IAEA regulations."
The demand by the United States for referring the Iranian nuclear dossier to the UN Security Council are an attempt to undermine the Russian proposal Larijani stressed. "The Russian proposal can develop and is quite viable," he said, adding that "we assume that steps will be made toward a successful implementation of the Russian project." "They (Americans), in fact, are creating obstacles to the Russian proposals," he said.
