West cannot Require Iran to Stop Legal Activities

Iran’s ambassador to Thailand Mohsen Pak Ayeen stressed the peaceful drive of his country’s nuclear activities, mentioning that the West cannot require countries to stop their legal and legitimate activities. Speaking to reporters in Bangkok on Wednesday, Pak Ayeen described Iran’s nuclear issue as a political case, and reiterated that Tehran has never violated the international rules and that Iran’s peaceful nuclear plans and activities have always complied with the international regulations.

He further assessed recent talks in Turkey between Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana as positive, and said, “If Europe approaches (the new round of talks) through logic, we can expect some future progress in this ground (i.e. ending the current nuclear standoff between Iran and the West).”

Pak Ayeen also mentioned that the era of Cold War came to its end long ago, adding that use of sanctions and language of threat for resolving conflicts are now meaningless and that advocates of such methods will eventually be pushed into isolation.

Also noting the recent stances of certain European countries, like Austria, on making investments in Iran, he pointed out, “Those countries which enjoy political independence make their decisions on the basis of their own national interests and pursue expansion of their relations with Iran in the economic and energy sectors.

Elsewhere, the envoy expressed regret over the massacre of the innocent civilians in Iraq, and viewed deployment of occupying troops in that country as a major contributor to the present insecurities in Iraq.

“Iran will participate in the Sharm el-Sheikh summit to help Iraq and this participation takes place in pursuit of the withdrawal of occupiers from that country,” he continued.

The Iranian ambassador also described the Iraqi government as a legal and popular government, and called on the world countries to assist Iraq with the establishment of security and stability.

Elsewhere, he viewed Iran-Thailand relations as progressive, and stressed that a lustrous future is awaiting the two countries’ ties.

To conclude his remarks, Pak Ayeen expressed the hope that the two countries’ relations, specially in economic areas, would experience huge progress in 2007.