Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Thursday slammed the US government for impeding his country's development of nuclear technology for energy use, saying Iran would not bow down to western pressure.
Mottaki, who is attending the 35th Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting of the Organization of Islamic Conference in Kampala, told reporters the United States, while relying on nuclear reactors for 25 percent of its power generation, has no grounds to hinder Iran's peaceful use of the same technology.
The three-day meeting, due to end Friday, will discuss issues related to Iran's nuclear program, the situations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine, as well as rocketing oil and food prices worldwide.
"America is the country, even now testing the third, fourth or fifth generation of nuclear bombs; such a country is not in a position to instruct other nations to have nuclear energy or not," Mottaki said.
The Iranian minister said late last month that the US should conduct a "serious review" of its foreign policy after presidential elections later this year.
"We are enjoying our membership of NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) for more than 37 years. We are a committed member of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). Having nuclear energy and nuclear technology is the right of a member state, which we are realizing," said Mottaki.
"We will continue to realize our right" he added, noting that his country's nuclear enrichment program conforms to relevant rules and regulations.
Under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a country has the right to enrich its own fuel for civil nuclear power, under inspection by the IAEA.
While defending Iran's nuclear program, Mottaki declined to reveal the contents of a package plan presented by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany in Teheran last week.
The latest package of incentives, which includes economic, political and security proposals, aims to encourage Iran to temporarily suspend its nuclear enrichment program for three to six months to facilitate the opening of negotiations.
"We will consider this package and as they have said they are considering the package that we have offered," said Mottaki.
While Iran is considering the package, western powers should also consider what it has put on table, he said.
(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2008)
