Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Government Spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham said here Monday that Iran is still prepared to resolve its nuclear case with the west through negotiations and diplomatic means despite disloyalty of the Europeans to their previous pledges.
“Although the other party has not remained loyal to its stances and breached its vow for the settlement of the case through talks, we have consistently been showing that we are decisive to pursue resolution of the issue through talks in a bid to prove Iran’s loyalty to its previously stated policies, stances, goals and international laws and regulations,” Elham told reporters in his weekly press conference here in Tehran on Monday.
Asked if Iran’s response to the 5+1 package of incentives would be delayed, he said that no deadline has ever been specified for Tehran’s response to the west’s offer, adding, “As far as I know, our expert committees are through with their scrutiny of the package, yet, we ourselves set the date when we would give our response and we will do that.”
The group called 5+1, i.e. the five permanent UN Security Council members — Britain, France, the United States, China and Russia — plus Germany proposed a package of incentives to Iran on June 6 in exchange for a freeze on all uranium enrichment and related activities. Iran had earlier notified that it would respond to the package by August 22nd.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi said yesterday that Tehran’s review of the package is complete and that it is ready to give its response on August 22 as previously announced.
“We believe that the two parties can settle the case through negotiations,” Elham reiterated.
Referring to a letter the United Nations Secretary-General has submitted to Iran where Kofi Annan has demanded Tehran to provide a positive response to the west’s proposals, the Government Spokesman said, “We have already decided to treat the package in a positive manner and we came to this conclusion for the sake of our own interests and not because of anybody else.”
“Now it is important that the other party shows loyalty to the principles of negotiations and to the international rules and regulations and the issues it has always claimed in theory,” Elham continued.
Elsewhere, he said in response to the question if Iran would participate in the reconstruction of Lebanon: “the Zionist regime and its allies and supporters must compensate for all the damage they have inflicted on Lebanon, though human losses and casualties, of course, may never be compensated for”.
He stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran enjoys extensive and desirable experiences in reconstruction works stressing that his country has good scientific potentials and experiences when doing reconstruction works in the post-war era.
Meantime, he expressed Iran’s preparedness for providing Lebanon with any kind of experience or possibility that it has in the sphere of reconstruction, underlining that Tehran would render full support to the Lebanese in this regard.
He further expressed hope that all the regional states would extend support to Lebanon and participate in the reconstruction of that country.
Asked about extensive propaganda launched by the western media concerning Iran’s current war games codenamed ‘Blow of Zolfaqar’, the Government Spokesman underscored that the maneuvers are aimed at increasing the preparedness, capabilities and self-sufficiency of the Iranian armed forces, and described exercise of war games as a normal phenomenon in the world.
To conclude his remarks, Elham expressed the hope that Iran’s defense capabilities could play an efficient role in the establishment of global peace and promotion of independence and freedom.
