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Tehran Slams Western Incentives Offer
Tehran, 28 August (AKI) - Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani on Monday criticised an incentives package offered by six world powers to convince Tehran to halt uranium enrichment work and stressed that the government will not abandon its nuclear programme, which the international community fears is aimed at building nuclear weapons. "The West cannot make fun of us by offering cooperation in the agricultural sector or the internet while we are demanding nuclear technology," said Larijani, speaking just ahead of a UN deadline on 31 August threatening Iran with economic sanctions if it fails to stop enriching uranium.The five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the US, Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany offered on 6 June an incentives package to Tehran to convince it to abandon its programme. Tehran was referred back to the Security Council mid July after the six countries decided that Iran was not considering the proposal seriously. Details of the package have not been made public. However reports say Iran was offered among other things assistance to build a light-water nuclear reactor for civilian use. In his address broadcast by Iranian state television on Monday, Larijani called the package a "lollypop." Meanwhile on Monday the president of the Iranian parliament Gholam Ali Haddad Adel announced that "good nuclear news are upcoming." Iranian officials have used the term good news to describe progress in its nuclear technology. Posted by: Steve 2006-08-28 |
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