Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (FNA) Since Iran has been cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency in a transparent manner, the UN Security Council should be brave enough to return Iran’s nuclear dossier to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iranian foreign minister here on Tuesday.
Manouchehr Mottaki made the remarks in a meeting with the visiting chairman of the German parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Ruprecht Polenz, Tehran Times reported.
Polenz is accompanied by a delegation including Michael Fuchs, another senior member of the German Bundestag.
Iran has never been hesitant about promoting bilateral, regional, and international cooperation with Germany, Mottaki stated.
The foreign minister said Iran is revising its economic ties with foreign countries and thus trying to choose which states will be its most favored trading partners.
Cooperating with Iran has always benefited European countries and they still have the opportunity to safeguard their legitimate interests in Iran, he noted.
Polenz said Germany is of the opinion that the current level of ties between Iran and the European Union and Germany has not reached its potential.
And Germany could be an ideal partner for Iran, particularly in developing energy sector projects, he added.
The German parliamentarian also met with the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee chairman, Alaedin Borujerdi, on Tuesday.
Borujerdi expressed Iran’s concern over the security situation in Pakistan.
“The stability of the neighboring country is very important for Iran, and we hope the Pakistani government can resolve the current crisis.”
He also pointed to Iran’s constructive role in the efforts to establish peace and stability in Afghanistan.
On the Iraq situation, the senior Iranian MP said the presence of foreign forces in Iraq increases the possibility of civil war in the country.
He also emphasized the need to set a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq.
Although Iran does not have official diplomatic relations with the United States, it has held two rounds of talks with the country for the sake of the Iraqi people, he said.
Polenz said that he has traveled to Iran with the aim of studying regional developments and bolstering bilateral ties.
On recent developments in Pakistan, the German parliamentarian said that the entire international community is concerned about the escalation of violence in the country.
Moreover, the situation in Pakistan has a direct effect on Afghanistan, and Iran and Germany should continue their cooperation in the campaign against terrorism and drug smuggling, Polenz opined.
In a separate meeting with Polenz, Parliament Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel asserted that the Islamic Republic is not pursuing a nuclear weapons program.
“In the area of nuclear technology, we do not intend to conduct military and non-peaceful activities, and, in order to prove this, we have developed all kinds of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.”
The UN nuclear watchdog and the US National Intelligence Estimate have also confirmed the peaceful nature of the country’s nuclear activities, Haddad Adel added.
He said Iran plays a key role in helping to maintain security in the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Although we are under US pressure, we try to fulfill our duty to establish peace and stability in the region, and our previous and current cooperation with Iraq proves this fact.”
He also stated that Iran and Germany enjoy longstanding relations and called for the expansion of political, economic, and cultural cooperation.
“In view of the two country’s potential, cooperation in these areas is not at the optimal level,” the speaker regretted.
Polenz called for a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West.
The German lawmaker said that more negotiations are necessary to clear up the remaining ambiguities about the country’s nuclear activities.
Iran can achieve success during the next round of nuclear negotiations by increasing its efforts to gain the trust of the international community, he added.
Polenz also called for the expansion of parliamentary relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Germany.
