Saturday, May 30, 2015

Senior Negotiator Categorically Rejects Inspection of Iran's Military Sites - Fars News Agency



by Fars News Agency

"They (the foreigners) shouldn’t be allowed at all to penetrate into the country's security and defensive boundaries under the pretext of supervision, and the country's military officials are not permitted at all to allow the foreigners to cross these boundaries or stop the country's defensive development under the pretext of supervision and inspection," Ayatollah Khamenei said

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi said differences still remain between Tehran and the world powers on the implementation of the Additional Protocol to the NPT, yet, he strongly rejected any possibility for the inspection of Iran's military sites and interview with nuclear scientists by outsiders.
 
"Interview with scientists and inspection of military centers are fully rejected, but talks continue within the framework of the procedures envisaged in the Additional Protocol," Araqchi told Iran's state-run TV on Saturday before Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his US counterpart John Kerry started a new round of nuclear talks in Geneva.

"The methods for implementing the Additional Protocol are among the issues of difference and we are discussing them," he added.

Araqchi referred to the Saturday talks between Zarif and Kerry in the presence of EU deputy foreign policy chief Helga Schmidt, who also represents the Group 5+1 (the US, China, Russia, France and Britain plus Germany), and expressed the hope that the remaining problems would be resolved during the one-day negotiations.

Zarif arrived in Geneva a few hours ago to take part in the ongoing nuclear talks between Tehran and the six major world powers.

"We will discuss the latest conditions of the negotiations and we will then decide (how to proceed)," Zarif said upon his arrival in Geneva earlier today.

"Last night, my colleagues met the representatives of the Group 5+1 and also with the US experts in Vienna, and tomorrow we will continue talks with participation of Secretary of State John Kerry," he added.

Araqchi's remarks came after Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei reiterated Iran's opposition to the inspection of sensitive military sites and interview with the country's nuclear scientists.

"As said before, no permission will be given for inspection of any military centers and talks with the nuclear scientists and other sensitive fields of study and intrusion into their privacy," Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing the Iranian cadets at Imam Hossein University - a renowned military academy of the IRGC - in Tehran last week.

"I will not allow the aliens to hold talks and interrogate the dear and distinguished scientists and sons of this nation," he stressed.

Ayatollah Khamenei also referred to the nuclear talks underway between Iran and the world powers, and said one of the challenges facing the talks was the other side's bullying and excessive demands.

But he stressed that the enemies should know that the Iranian nation would not bow to the pressures and excessive demands.

In relevant comments on April 9, Ayatollah Khamenei specified conditions for a final nuclear deal with the world powers, and underlined that Iran doesn’t allow any inspection of its defensive and military centers.

"They (the foreigners) shouldn’t be allowed at all to penetrate into the country's security and defensive boundaries under the pretext of supervision, and the country's military officials are not permitted at all to allow the foreigners to cross these boundaries or stop the country's defensive development under the pretext of supervision and inspection," Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing a large number of Iranian people in Tehran in early April.

Elaborating on his position on the recent nuclear statement issued by Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) in Lausanne, Switzerland, he said, "I am neither in favor nor against it since nothing has happened yet and no binding issue has occurred between the two sides."

Ayatollah Khamenei underscored that he will support a final deal which would guarantee the Iranian nation's honor and interests, and added, "I am not indifferent to the negotiations but I have not interfered in the details of the negotiations by now and will not interfere in the future either."

Ayatollah Khamenei stressed the necessity for continued progress in the country's nuclear Research and Development (R&D) and development of the nuclear industry, and said another important issue in the final deal is that "the sanctions should be removed completely on the same day (of the implementation) of any agreement".

Also in April, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said there is no paragraph or article in the additional protocol to NPT to allow inspection of non-nuclear sites.

Salehi said that Paragraph 30 under Article 5 of the NPT Additional Protocol (which has not been yet accepted by Iran and should be approved by the parliament for implementation) allows the inspectors to inspect the vicinities of the non-nuclear sites, but they misinterpret that and intend to enter those sites, which will not be allowed.

"Everyone wishes to present their own interpretations of the nuclear negotiations, but the point to be kept in mind is that the Iranians have still not signed any agreement. The accomplished job so far is the shared understanding over various issues," he went on to say referring to the Iran-Powers nuclear understanding reached in Lausanne on April 2.

After nine days of hard work in Lausanne, Switzerland, Iran and the G5+1 reached an understanding on April 2 which laid the ground for them to start drafting the final nuclear deal over Tehran's nuclear energy program ahead of a July 1 deadline.

Reading out a joint statement at a press conference with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Lausanne on April 2, Zarif said according to the agreement, all the US, EU and UN Security Council sanctions against Iran would be lifted under the final deal.

Talks are underway among the delegations of the seven nations to draft the final deal.


Fars News Agency

Source: http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940309001240

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