Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Iran and Japan, as victims of chemical and nuclear weapons, can be the flag bearers of the fight against weapons of mass destruction, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said , Press TV reported.

At a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's special envoy to Iran Masahiko Komura, Rouhani reaffirmed the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear energy program and emphasized that it would remain peaceful.

He pointed out that Iran is completely committed to international regulations including the NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty] and all Iran's nuclear activities are under the surveillance of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Meanwhile, at the meeting with Komura, Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said that Iran is not only opposed to atomic weapons, but it also seeks the annihilation of all weapons of mass destruction in the world.

Referring to Tehran's nuclear talks with the world powers, Rafsanjani said if the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) refrained from making up excuses, then the Iranian nation and administration are ready to reciprocate confidence-building measures and conduct "real negotiations without preconditions.

Iran and the P5+1 have held several rounds of talks on a range of issues, with the main focus being on Tehran's nuclear energy program.

The two sides wrapped up their latest round of negotiations in April in the Kazakh city of Almaty. An earlier meeting had been held in February.

The nuclear issue was also discussed during the meeting of Komura and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif

Zarif said that Iran will employ "active diplomacy" to "solve the problem" of the illegal and cruel sanctions imposed against it.

The minister noted that the Iranian nation will never give up their rights.

Describing Japan as a "natural partner" of Iran, Zarif expressed hope that the two countries could use their capacities to expand relations.

The West suspects Tehran's nuclear program may be aimed at developing nuclear weapons capability, but Iran insists it is purely for peaceful purposes. Iran reiterates that its main demand is that its right to uranium enrichment, as stipulated in the NPT, be recognized.