Iranian President Underlines All Countries’ Right to Peaceful Nuclear Energy
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani reiterated the right for all nations to benefit from peaceful nuclear technologies.
“We believe that all countries should (have the right to) use peaceful nuclear technologies within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty),” Rouhani said Wednesday night in a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.
“We should not allow certain countries to monopolize new technologies”, the Iranian chief executive added.
Rouhani also censured sanctions imposed on Iran over the country’s peaceful nuclear activity and said rusty weapons like embargos are no longer effective.
His comments come as Iran and the six powers are in talks to hammer out a final deal to end a decade of impasse over Tehran’s civilian nuclear work.
On November 24, 2013, Iran and the Group 5+1 (five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) signed an interim nuclear deal in the Swiss city of Geneva.
The Geneva deal (the Joint Plan of Action) came into effect in January and expired in July, when the parties decided to extend negotiations until November 24 in the hope of clinching a final, lasting accord.
The final round of talks before the November 24 deadline are slated to be held in Austria’s Vienna, beginning November 18.
Elsewhere in his remarks at the joint press conference, Rouhani called for the development of friendly relations between Tehran and Baku.
Ilham Aliyev, for his part, referred to the deep-rooted relations between the two countries and said the Republic of Azerbaijan is determined to strengthen economic and political ties with Iran.
The Iranian President began a trip to the Republic of Azerbaijan on Wednesday aimed at strengthening Tehran-Baku ties and bolstering Iran’s interaction with Caucasus, the region he described as the gateway to Europe.
Back in April this year, Aliyev paid a visit to Tehran to consult with senior Iranian officials on bilateral and regional issues and enhancement of mutual relations.
High-ranking officials from the two countries signed three memoranda of understanding and a cooperation agreement during his visit to Iran at the time.
Trade volume between the two countries amounted to $281.03 million in 2013, more than 6 percent higher than the year before.
