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Iran to examine new package, not to stop enrichment
3/6/2006 11:15

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."



Xinhua