Iran Ready to Resume Nuclear Talks

Tehran, Mar 1. -Iran on Tuesday expressed readiness to resume talks with six Western powers on its nuclear program, as long as they are based on common and global issues without infringing on its legitimate rights.

A spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Ramin Mehmanparast, explained at a press conference that Tehran was pressing to resume talks with the so-called Group of 5+1, made up of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.

That position was repeatedly stated to G5+1 group and proves that Iran will persist with the option of negotiations, if those countries are ready to talk about cooperation without bias, putting emphasis on interaction instead of confrontation, the spokesman noted.

Mehmanparast's remarks to journalists here came after a closed-door meeting in Geneva between the EU foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, and Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi.

Salehi, who until recently presided over the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, said he hoped this latest meeting would facilitate upcoming meetings with the G5+1, based on impartiality and without double standards.

Tehran vehemently defended the peaceful character of its atomic program and pledged for nuclear disarmament all over the world but rejected demands from the Western countries to give up its uranium enrichment plan, which it considers legitimate. (Prensa Latina)