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Iranâ€™s FM: â€œThe Middle East should be free of nuclear weaponsâ€

17 January 2012 15:08 (UTC +04:00)

The senior diplomat said that no foreign power should imagine that they can determine, for political ends, which states can and which ones can’t benefit from Persian Gulf resources. He made comments on the US president Barack Obamaâ€™s letter to the Iranâ€™s supreme leader Seyid Ali Khamnei. â€œThere is nothing new in that letter. Such letters have been sent earlier too. Of course, some problems were touched upon thereâ€.

Salehi also answered the question about the planned discussions with G6 countries over the Iranâ€™s controversial nuclear program. â€œSecretary of Iranâ€™s National Security Council Said Jalili told the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Catherine Ashton that Iran is ready to discuss the issue with G6 countries. Iran is always open for discussions, but the opposite side complicates the issue. Iran-G6 discussions will be held phase-by-phase. The date of discussions is negotiated nowâ€.

Answering the question that IAEA informs foreign intelligence services about the Iranian nuclear scientists, Salehi said the agency was able to keep materials about Iran a secret. â€œBut it also has a right to give those materials to other member countries. Unfortunately, IAEA makes wrong decision on this issue. Therefore IAEAâ€™s Director General Yukiya Amano apologized to Iran. But the apology has no effectiveness nowâ€.

Ali Akbar Salehi said Iran has innovated idea of Middle East free of nuclear weapons. â€œIsrael is the only country in the region with nuclear weapons.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has developed the idea of a region free of nuclear weapons and it has demonstrated it has fulfilled its commitments.
Israel has refused to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and it is a threat to regional securityâ€.