Minister: Iran not to negotiate with Washington
(AP)
Updated: 2006-06-01 14:29
Iran would never negotiate its nuclear research program with Washington, said
the visiting Iranian Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh late on Wednesday.
U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice speaks about Iran during a news conference in the
Benjamin Franklin room of the State Department in Washington May 31, 2006.
[Reuters] |
"We are never going to negotiate the cycle of nuclear fuel that we have been
able to achieve with the efforts of our country's scientists," said the
minister, who was in Venezuela for an OPEC meeting, at an interview with the
local television station Telesur.
Regarding the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's latest remarks that
the United States would join the European Union (EU) in the talks with Iran as
soon as Iran suspended its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities, the
minister said what Rice had said was just "words the American authorities always
repeat."
In a major U.S. policy shift, Rice had said earlier on Wednesday that "to
underscore our commitment to a diplomatic solution and to enhance prospects for
success, as soon as Iran fully and verifiably suspends its enrichment and
reprocessing activities, the U.S. will come to the table."
The Iranian minister also blamed Washington for boosting oil prices, saying
the recent price hike was linked to Washington's "constant threats" against
Iran.
The EU has put forward a package of both incentives, including providing a
light-water reactor to Iran, and possible penalties if Tehran fails to
cooperate.
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