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| Iran's Khamenei Dismisses Future Negotiation with US |
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Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday dismissed future talks with the United States, terming the negotiation between the two sides as "useless". "I don't think it's useful for us to negotiate with the United States, we don't need such negotiations," Khamenei, quoted by local media. The supreme leader also reiterated that Iran would not bend to international pressure demanding a suspension of the uranium enrichment activities. "We are not going to negotiate with anyone on our undeniable right to develop nuclear technology and to use it," stressed Khamenei. "If they could respect our legal right, we are prepared to negotiate over supervision controls," he added. European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana on June 6 presented to Iran a new package over Iran's nuclear issue, which had been agreed by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany in a meeting in Vienna. The proposal includes both incentives aimed at persuading Iran to suspend uranium enrichment and possible sanctions if Iran chooses not to comply. Western countries have asked Iran to stop enrichment works first in their proposals to create chance for future negotiations and have requested Iran to give a formal response to the package in a few weeks. But Iran's top officials have repeatedly said their country wanted talks with the West without any preconditions, vowing Iran would never give up the legal right to use nuclear technology peacefully. In a meeting with Khamenei on June 19, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also said Iran didn't want any preconditions over the nuclear talks with Westerns. "The proposal is a step forward, but the Islamic Republic wants to pursue a fair and equal talk with them, and there should not be any preconditions," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by the state television. The United States has accused Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons under a civilian front, a charge categorically denied by Tehran. (Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2006) |
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