Lawmaker: Iran to Safeguard, Promote Nuclear Achievements

Addressing a parliament session on Wednesday, Vice-Chairman of Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Mansour Haqiqatpour urged the legislature to unanimously pass the proposed budget allocated to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) for the next year.

He said the AEOI should vigorously keep up its activities in the next Iranian year (to be started on 21 March 2014) even over budget.

Describing the parliament’s unwavering support for the AEOI as a message for the enemies of Iran, Haqiqatpour contended that the Islamic Republic will not only uphold its nuclear achievements, but also pursues flourishing nuclear activities for peaceful purposes.

His remarks come after Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) on November 24 signed a six-month deal on Tehran’s nuclear program based on which the world powers agreed to suspend some non-essential sanctions and to imposed no new nuclear-related bans in return for Tehran's decision to freeze parts of its nuclear activities and to allow more inspection of its nuclear facilities.

During the half-year period, Iran and the G5+1 are due to negotiate a comprehensive deal with the aim of resolving for good the standoff over Iran's nuclear program after a decade of on-off meetings and failed attempts.

And in relevant comments made earlier on December 19, AEOI Chief Ali Akbar Salehi stressed that the country's nuclear facilities, including Arak heavy water reactor, will continue running, dismissing western governments' call on Tehran to suspend activities of the facility.

“Iran’s nuclear facilities, including the Arak reactor, will continue running at full capacity,” Salehi said at the time.

“We will never give up this important achievement and we have no intention of losing it,” Salehi said of the Arak reactor.