Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in Tehran today that
Tehran would examine a new proposal offered by world powers in a bid to persuade
it to halt controversial nuclear program.
Mottaki said Iran "needed to examine these proposals" before giving its
formal response, but he insisted that his country would not stop uranium
enrichment.
"We think that if there is good will, a breakthrough to get out of a
situation they (the European Union and the United States) have created for
themselves ... is possible," Mottaki told a press conference.
Meanwhile, Mottaki reasserted that no condition should be set for
negotiations.
"Negotiations must be without preconditions. No condition for negotiations is
acceptable, especially the condition that has been set," Mottaki said.
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany on
Thursday reached agreement on presenting a package of both incentives and
penalties to Iran if Iran suspended uranium enrichment to pave the way for
negotiations on the proposal.
Mottaki also disclosed that EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana will visit
Tehran to present the new proposal." Javier Solana will in Tehran in the next
two days to submit the new proposals to Iran," Mottaki was quoted as saying by
the official IRNA news agency.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice offered on Wednesday that Washington
would join European countries in talks with Iran if Tehran suspends enrichment.
Iran has repeatedly said that it will not give up its right under the
Non-Proliferation Treaty to peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was quoted by IRNA assaying Friday that
"pressure of some Western countries to force Iran to abandon its right (to
nuclear technology) will not get a result."