Iran urges US to accept its right to peaceful nuclear energy
An Iranian official has called on the United States to acknowledge
its right to use peaceful nuclear energy.
"There is one logical option to solve the problem over Iran's nuclear program - for the U.S. to acknowledge Tehran's natural right," Iranian parliament speaker Gholamali Haddad-Adel told reporters in Baku.
Iran, which has been facing mounting Western pressure to suspend its nuclear program, denies allegations that it conceals a drive for atomic warheads and is keen on pressing ahead with uranium enrichment.
The speaker said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that Iran's program "had no slant toward creating weapons".
"Despite this the United States' threats against Iran persist. This is called seeking violence and pretexts. The Iranian people have never accepted America's language of force. If they had, they would not have risen to a revolution 28 years ago," Haddad-Adel said.
He said that after the IAEA's latest report, Tehran accepted further dialog with the international community, considering positive content in the feedback provided by the agency's chief Mohamed ElBaradei. The secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Kazem Jalali and the European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana are due to meet next week.
Haddad-Adel said that at a time his government is optimistic about talks, Washington's pressure is "illogical and illegitimate".
During the visit at the weekend, the Iranian speaker discussed with Azerbaijani officials ways of expanding relations between the two countries. In a meeting with President Ilham Aliyev on Friday, he expressed hope that the visit would promote efficient inter-parliamentary cooperation.
President Aliyev said numerous agreements signed between the two countries would give an impetus to the development of bilateral relations in all fields.
Haddad-Adel also toured Azerbaijan's northwestern city of Ganja to meet with its leadership and attend a number of cultural events.
The trade turnover between Iran and Azerbaijan made up $450 million in the first half of 2007. The figure was $380 million last year.
"There is one logical option to solve the problem over Iran's nuclear program - for the U.S. to acknowledge Tehran's natural right," Iranian parliament speaker Gholamali Haddad-Adel told reporters in Baku.
Iran, which has been facing mounting Western pressure to suspend its nuclear program, denies allegations that it conceals a drive for atomic warheads and is keen on pressing ahead with uranium enrichment.
The speaker said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that Iran's program "had no slant toward creating weapons".
"Despite this the United States' threats against Iran persist. This is called seeking violence and pretexts. The Iranian people have never accepted America's language of force. If they had, they would not have risen to a revolution 28 years ago," Haddad-Adel said.
He said that after the IAEA's latest report, Tehran accepted further dialog with the international community, considering positive content in the feedback provided by the agency's chief Mohamed ElBaradei. The secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Kazem Jalali and the European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana are due to meet next week.
Haddad-Adel said that at a time his government is optimistic about talks, Washington's pressure is "illogical and illegitimate".
During the visit at the weekend, the Iranian speaker discussed with Azerbaijani officials ways of expanding relations between the two countries. In a meeting with President Ilham Aliyev on Friday, he expressed hope that the visit would promote efficient inter-parliamentary cooperation.
President Aliyev said numerous agreements signed between the two countries would give an impetus to the development of bilateral relations in all fields.
Haddad-Adel also toured Azerbaijan's northwestern city of Ganja to meet with its leadership and attend a number of cultural events.
The trade turnover between Iran and Azerbaijan made up $450 million in the first half of 2007. The figure was $380 million last year.
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