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Mottaki sees no chance of mending fences with U.S.
Irans foreign minister on Friday urged the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to correct their past mistakes and draw up a resolution ending council involvement in his countrys nuclear affairs. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki also said that -- while it makes sense to talk with Washington over common interests such as Iraq -- he could not imagine substantially improved ties with the United States even after a change in U.S. administrations. Mottaki spoke to The Associated Press on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, the Davos gathering of world political and economic leaders, whose focus on areas of international concern include the Mideast. Mottakis call for an end to a Security Council role in trying to pressure Iran comes amid indications that the council is moving precisely in the other direction and is ready to pass a third round of sanctions for Tehrans refusal to mothball uranium enrichment and meet related demands. Asked what his message to the council was, Mottaki said, it was time now to correct their previous mistakes -- involving itself in Tehrans nuclear program and passing the two sanctions resolutions. At the minimum, said Mottaki, the council should wait until the International Atomic Energy Agency completes its probe of Irans past nuclear activities, at the latest in early March. If that report shows no attempt by Iran to make nuclear weapons -- as claimed by the U.S. -- council members should ... pass a new resolution formally washing their hands of Irans nuclear activities, he said. Mottaki asserted there was neither political will nor any practical step for nuclear weapons in my country. And he said he saw no room for improved relations between Tehran and Washington, even past the approaching change of U.S. administrations. Usually we do not look to the individuals in the United States or even to the (political) parties -- we look to policies, he said. Being a realist ... I have to say that I do not see room for the time being for the (establishment) of relations between the Iran and the United States, he added, while acknowledging the sense of bilateral talks on the situation in Iraq. Posted by: Fred 2008-01-27 |
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