Mahmoud Short RoundAhmadinejad said Tuesday that Iran is not concerned about sanctions on its oil sales by the West. It has ample reserves of foreign currencies and even if it could not sell its oil for several years it would be able to withstand the sanctions.
Ahmadinejad made the remarks in the Iranian southern port city of Bandar Abbas live on state- run IRINN TV.
His comments came just a few days ahead of the nuclear talks between Iran and the UN Security Council's five permanent members plus Germany (P5+1) slated for April 14 in Turkey's Istanbul. At the same time, Iran's foreign minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said that his country will not accept any precondition to the upcoming nuclear talks.
Salehi's remarks came as Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) confirmed Monday that the fresh nuclear talks between Iran and the G5+1 will be held in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Saturday, April 14.
In the meantime, local media reported that as the nuclear talks are about to restart, an Iranian high-ranking official said that bilateral negotiations with the United States is not on Iran's agenda.
Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces has been reported saying by official IRNA news agency that "negotiations with the United States has never been on the agenda of the Islamic republic of Iran."
SNSC also announced that both Iran and G5+1 agreed that the next round of talks will be held in Iraq's Storied Baghdad
...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate...
and the time for the meeting will be announced in Istanbul, the state IRIB TV reported.