Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 

Agreement on Iran-Powers Cooperation, Ashton Stresses Iran's Right to Access Civilian Nuclear Technology

 

Baqeri, Schmid Assigned to Draft Agreement on Iran-Powers' Cooperation

April 14, 2012

TEHRAN (FNA)-

Iran's top negotiator Saeed Jalili said that his deputy Ali Baqeri and EU foreign policy deputy chief Helga Schmid have been assigned to draft an agreement on cooperation between Tehran and the six world powers before the upcoming meeting in Baghdad on May 23.

"Mr. Baqeri and Mrs. Schmid were tasked with compiling a draft for the framework of cooperation for the May 23 meeting in Baghdad," Jalili said at a press conference after attending two rounds of talks with the representatives of the world powers in Istanbul on Saturday.

"Mutual cooperation will start after preparing this draft and we hope to witness positive steps in this ground," he added.

Jalili further pointed out that "nuclear cooperation" was among the main topics of discussions in the two rounds of talks in Istanbul today.

He reiterated that Iran has been pursuing prevention of the proliferation of the nuclear weapons as a main stance in negotiations with the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) "and we pursue this stance and hope that cooperation will be formed for global disarmament and nonproliferation".

Jalili also noted Iran's home-developed capacities and capabilities in utilizing civilian nuclear technology, and said, "Considering that our capability is based on our home-grown capacities, it can serve as a successful paradigm for the motto 'Nuclear Weapon for No One and Peaceful Nuclear Energy for All'."

He said during the talks with the world powers in Istanbul, "we declared that their future behavior should be based on attracting the Iranian nation's trust, considering certain futile attitudes (practiced so far) by the West against our country".

"We agreed that talks should continue over a range of issues, including the nuclear issue, with a positive and constructive approach, and it was agreed that talks continue to enter a constructive and positive trend of comprehensive and sustainable cooperation favored by both sides, and this should take place through step-by-step and reciprocal action," the Iranian chief negotiator reiterated.

Jalili also stressed that "the two sides agreed that any kind of nuclear agreement should be based on the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)".

Also during the press conference, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton described the Saturday negotiations between Iran and the six world powers as "useful" and "constructive", and underlined Tehran's right to access a peaceful nuclear program.

"We were assured that Iran is serious. We have agreed that the nonproliferation treaty forms a key basis for what must be serious engagement to ensure all the obligations under the treaty are met by Iran while fully respecting Iran's right for the peaceful use of nuclear energy," Ashton, who leads the world powers in the talks with Iran, said after two rounds of multifaceted talks with Jalili and his team.

"Iran should enjoy the right to have a peaceful nuclear program," she said.

Ashton said Saturday's meeting was a basis to establish a "sustained process of serious dialogue."

"We expect subsequent meetings will lead to concrete steps towards a comprehensive negotiated solution which restores confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program," Ashton said.

Ashton also said that the two sides "will meet in Baghdad on May 23", and stressed, "We are serious about taking tangible and practical measures."

After a year of stalled talks, Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) eventually accepted last month to resume their negotiations in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 14 and in case of good progress hold a second round of talks in Iraq's capital city, Baghdad.

The two sides attended two meetings at Istanbul's Lutfil Kirdar Hall today. Ashton led the delegations of the world powers, while the Iranian side was headed by Jalili.

Ashton Stresses Iran's Right to Access Civilian N. Technology

April 14, 2012

TEHRAN (FNA)-

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton described the Saturday negotiations between Iran and the six world powers as "useful" and "constructive", and underlined Tehran's right to access a peaceful nuclear program.

Ashton made the remarks in a press conference after two rounds of multifaceted talks between negotiating teams from Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) in Istanbul on Saturday.

"We were assured that Iran is serious. We have agreed that the nonproliferation treaty forms a key basis for what must be serious engagement to ensure all the obligations under the treaty are met by Iran while fully respecting Iran's right for the peaceful use of nuclear energy," Ashton, who leads the world powers in the talks with Iran, said after two rounds of multifaceted talks with Jalili and his team.

"Iran should enjoy the right to have a peaceful nuclear program," she said.

Ashton said Saturday's meeting was a basis to establish a "sustained process of serious dialogue".

"We expect subsequent meetings will lead to concrete steps towards a comprehensive negotiated solution which restores confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program," Ashton said.

Ashton also said that the two sides "will meet in Baghdad on May 23", and stressed, "We are serious about taking tangible and practical measures."

After a year of stalled talks, Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) eventually accepted last month to resume their negotiations in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 14 and in case of good progress hold a second round of talks in Iraq's capital city, Baghdad.

The two sides attended two meetings at Istanbul's Lutfil Kirdar Hall today. Ashton led the delegations of the world powers, while the Iranian side was headed by chief negotiator and Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Saeed Jalili.

At the first round of talks, the Iranian team of negotiators called on the western parties to take proper measures to build Iran's confidence.

Ashton's Spokesman Michael Mann described the first round of talks between the two sides as "positive" and "constructive".

Iranian nuclear talks to bear results if "realistic" approach taken by P5+1

TEHRAN, April 14, 2012 (Xinhua) --

A senior Iranian lawmaker called on the United Nations Security Council's five permanent members plus Germany (P5+1) to adopt a "realistic" approach in their nuclear talks with Iran in order to bear results, the local satellite Press TV reported on Saturday.

"If the approach of P5+1 in the talks is fair, realistic and free from any prejudice, this round of negotiations will yield result," said the member of Iran's Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Hossein Ebrahimi on Saturday.

The six world powers started crucial talks with Iran on its nuclear program in Turkey's Istanbul on Saturday.

Ebrahimi praised Tehran's "cooperation" with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), insisting that "The results of the talks should be directed at ending Iran's nuclear case and nullifying the sanctions."

Local analysts said that Iran would make some concessions in the fresh round of talks with the P5+1 but expected some sanctions to be lifted by the West against the country over its suspicious nuclear program.

On the day, another senior Iranian lawmaker Parviz Sorouri said that the Islamic republic is ready to review its decision on producing 20-percent enriched uranium if its needs are met, local semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

The lawmaker told Mehr that "If the West fulfills our needs for 20-percent enrichment," Iran is ready to review its decision to purify the nuclear fuel to such a degree on its own.

Iran believes "a win-win approach" can create a situation for the related parties to "get off the current dilemma," Sorouri said.

Iran wants the P5+1 to do something "that both meets the interests of the Islamic republic of Iran and relieves the West's concerns," he was quoted as saying.

Editor: Yang Lina

Iran refuses bilateral meeting with U.S. in Istanbul

ISTANBUL, April 14, 2012 (Xinhua) --

Iranian chief negotiator Saeed Jalili, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, refused a request from the United States for a bilateral meeting in Turkey's Istanbul on Saturday.

The statement came from the Iranian side shortly after the news that the United States wanted to have a bilateral meeting with the Iranian delegation in Istanbul.

The United Nations Security Council's five permanent members plus Germany (P5+1) started crucial talks with Iran in Istanbul Saturday, in the hope of suspending Iran's controversial nuclear program. The U.S. delegation participating in the talks is open to a bilateral meeting with Iranian counterparts, according to European sources.

A European diplomat participating in the talks in Istanbul said: "The Americans are open to the idea of meeting with the Iranians."

"All countries have expressed interest for bilateral talks," said Michael Mann, spokesman of EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton.

Editor: Yamei Wang