Iran calls on P5+1 Group for new approach in nuclear talks with Iran
By Sara Rajabova
The group of six major world powers must enter negotiations with Tehran with a new approach, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said, Press TV reported.
He noted that P5+1(the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) group's past policy was wrong and they achieved nothing.
"So, it is necessary that they change such a policy. Otherwise, Iran will continue resistance like the past 10 years," Zarif said.
He urged Western countries to look at the events of the past 10 years, see their defeated objectives and then change their "lose-lose game" strategy.
The Iranian minister said the "illegal and unfair" sanctions would have no impact on the determination of the Iranian government and nation to pursue peaceful nuclear activities.
Zarif added that the sanctions show the absence of political will for constructive interaction with Iran.
He added that Iran considers allaying the concerns of the international community necessary for its national security and stability as well as for having a successful and active international presence.
Meanwhile, the EU foreign policy chief and chief negotiator for the P5+1 Catherine Ashton's spokesman Michael Mann dismissed articles on offering new proposal to Iran to persuade Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment, Radiofarda reported.
Iranian media quoted Saudi Arabian Okaz newspaper as saying that the P5+1 has new offers for Iran on its nuclear issue.
He went on to note that the Almaty proposal is already on the table.
"We are interested on starting the negotiations as soon as possible," Mann said, adding that "however, we cannot say what will be the next step."
The P5+1 group's Almaty proposal offers halting some imposed sanctions against Iran during six months as long as Tehran agreed to decrease Fordow site's activity, suspend uranium enrichment to 20 percent.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Ashton agreed to meet on the sidelines of a UN General Assembly session in New York in late September to discuss a resumption of negotiations over Iran's nuclear issue.
In his phone conversation with Ashton on September 6, the Iranian foreign minister reaffirmed Tehran's determination to resolve the Western dispute over its nuclear energy program "if Iran's rights are respected," and if the other side is also decisive to settle the issue.
Rouhani has officially assigned the Foreign Ministry to deal with the country's nuclear issues with both the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA and the P5+1 group.
The talks were previously conducted by Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
Iran and the P5+1 group have held several rounds of talks on a range of issues, with the main focus being on Iran's nuclear energy program. The two sides wrapped up their latest round of negotiations on April 6 in the Kazakh city of Almaty. An earlier meeting had been held in Almaty on February 26-27.
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.