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Iranian Foreign Minister Manoucheher Mottaki. (AP)
Last update - 19:21 05/07/2008
Iran: Our nuclear program remains unchanged
By News Agencies and Haaretz Service
Tags: UN, European Union 

An Iranian government spokesman on Saturday said his country's nuclear program remains unchanged, indicating that Tehran has no plans to meet the West's central demand that it stop enriching uranium.

Gholam Hossein Elham's statements came just a day after Iran sent the European Union its response to an international proposal to curb its program in exchange for economic incentives. The content of the response has not been made public.

"Iran's stand regarding its peaceful nuclear program has not changed," Elham told reporters.
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Israel, the U.S. and some of its allies fear that Iran's enrichment program could produce nuclear weapons. Iran insists its program is for peaceful purposes.

Elham added that Iran is ready to talk about its nuclear program within the framework of the international rules and regulations.

Though the nature of Iran's response to the incentive package has not been made public, a European official, speaking on condition of anonymity for discussing confidential information, did not describe it as a breakthrough.

"It was not something that made us jump up and down for joy," said the official. "We are in a holding mode until we get a chance to look at it more closely."

Meanwhile, the European Union's foreign policy chief is willing to meet Iran's chief negotiator soon, after Tehran replied to the package of incentives, an EU spokeswoman said on Saturday.

She said EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana held first telephone consultations on Saturday on Iran's written response to proposals he delivered to Tehran last month on behalf of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China.

"One of the things to decide is to meet (Iranian national security chief Saeed) Jalili, and if so when. In principle, the position is to respond favourably," Solana's spokeswoman, Cristina Gallach, told Reuters.

She said Jalili had requested such a meeting in a telephone call with Solana on Friday in which he stressed "common ground."


Iranian response to incentives package sidesteps nuke issue

Also Saturday, the New York Times quoted officials charging that Iran's response to the package of incentives ignores the key issues.

Officials said that the response to the proposal does not address the request of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and the EU that Iran suspend its uranium enrichment activities.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in the response that Iran would be willing to engage in comprehensive negotiations with the EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and the world powers which offered the incentives.

"The time for negotiating from the condescending position of inequality has come to an end," the Iranian minister said, according to the New York Times. Sources involved in the diplomatic effort stressed that he failed to address any of the proposals the incentive package includes.

The officials also said that Mottaki called the sanctions imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council "illegal" and noted they were creating "lack of trust," resulting from "the duplicitous behavior of certain big powers."

The governments of the global powers involved declined to comment on the substance of Mottaki's letter.

A White House spokesperson said the U.S. intended to study the response and discuss it with Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China before responding formally.

Western officials expressed mixed feelings about Iran's response. "There is nothing new in it," said one, but others remained hopeful, citing the fact it was not a downright rejection of the incentives.

Government spokesman Gholamhossein Elham told a weekly news conference that "Iran's stance has not changed [on uranium enrichment] and we are ready to hold talks on the common points of the P5+1 incentives package and Iran's package."

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      1.   are you joking with me 10:36  |  iranian oil bourse 05/07/08
      2.   It was hand delivered 11:27  |  Chris Linthwaite 05/07/08
      3.   I Have To Tell You Now That No Such Undertaking Has Been Received 11:45  |  Rov 05/07/08
      4.   Game playing is the name of the game 11:46  |  Natallie Durson 05/07/08
      5.   LOL..Persians are playing... 12:26  |  Jack 05/07/08
      6.   Okay I`ll Behave 12:33  |  Yosemite 05/07/08
      7.   It`s a well known fact 13:19  |  H 05/07/08
      8.   Pay Now or Pay Later 13:24  |  Wimp v. Madmen 05/07/08
      9.   END OF ISRAELI NUCLEAR MONOPOLY 13:26  |  ALGERIAN 05/07/08
      10.   Take your rugs 13:26  |  Robert 05/07/08
      11.   Iran has a right to enrich...case closed 13:42  |  John 05/07/08
      12.   Iran as always sidesteepingnuclear issues 14:28  |  Millicent 05/07/08
      13.   Dear Jack # 2 15:20  |  North American 05/07/08
      14.   Nuclear Iran. 15:21  |  Jean Van Daem 05/07/08
      15.   Speculation after speculation 15:59  |  Dror 05/07/08
      16.   Unbelievable 16:01  |  Shane 05/07/08
      17.   # 2 Actually he DID try but the opportunity 16:04  |  Kris Lazar 05/07/08
      18.   #11, John is right 16:18  |  Stefan 05/07/08
      19.   #11 John:"Iraq has a right to enrich"..TO GET A BOMB that will... 16:43  |  Vittorio 05/07/08
      20.   #4 natalli 17:05  |  azad 05/07/08
      21.   Sleep Well Algerian 17:05  |  Dave Levy 05/07/08
      22.   self styled kings 17:12  |  Sameer 05/07/08
      23.   "condescending position of inequality" 17:18  |  Afikoman 05/07/08
      24.   "our nuclear bomb program...." 17:24  |  ljf-canada 05/07/08
      25.   11 and 16 17:37  |  EC 05/07/08
      26.   Iran cares less about incentives so it leave the west 1 option 17:40  |  Dish It Out 05/07/08
      27.   Do we trust Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? 17:41  |  Jean Van Daem 05/07/08
      28.   The Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself 17:57  |  John 05/07/08
      29.   "Our nuclear program remains unchanged " so wait for the attack ! 18:16  |  JP 05/07/08
      30.   #9.(Algerian) 18:31  |  LATIN LOVER 05/07/08
      31.   MAD 18:45  |  Scott 05/07/08
      32.   Failure of western nations 18:58  |  Dror 05/07/08
      33.   Algerian #9, yes I can answer your question 18:59  |  Johnny 05/07/08
      34.   #16 Um ... You don`t need to ENRICH uranium for power! 19:00  |  DesMnsDave 05/07/08
      35.   ALGERIAN # 9 Partly Right, But Mostly Wrong (part 1) 19:24  |  Jeff Northridge 05/07/08
      36.   Good for you Iran!!!! 19:30  |  Cheeringforunderdog 05/07/08
      37.   Iran remains on course for nuke 19:34  |  I.Kemp 05/07/08
      38.   JOHN (#11) Just a stupid QUESTION 19:48  |  Gil 05/07/08
      39.   JOHN (#11) Just a stupid QUESTION 19:49  |  Gil 05/07/08
      40.   Stefan #16, you seem insecure, eneductated 19:52  |  Johnny 05/07/08
      41.   Iran has no right 19:54  |  Alex 05/07/08
      42.   Iran is not in violation of ANY treaty it has signed. Why... 20:16  |  ManintheMiddle 05/07/08
      43.   Iran president really welcomes EU proposal to continue his game. 20:25  |  Marco 05/07/08
      44.   Iran abuses NPTrights to keep the nuclearprogress going unstopped 20:27  |  Marco 05/07/08
      45.   Iran is the only winner inthis game 21:37  |  farrokh 05/07/08
      46.   #38. North Korea or Pakistan can also give Alqaeda a n-bomb. 22:02  |  John 05/07/08
      47.   Iran: Our nuclear program remains unchanged 22:14  |  martin list, m.d. 05/07/08
      48.   to #9 22:27  |  martin list, m.d. 05/07/08
      49.   For Martin List MD # 47 22:34  |  Clickfool 05/07/08
      50.   No Change? 22:52  |  Arash-e-kamongeer. 05/07/08
      51.   #46Would iran having an A-Bomb increase or decrease ... 22:56  |  Ali 05/07/08
      52.   farrokh (45) the only looser in this game as always 23:04  |  Jew- and Bookburner 05/07/08
      53.   john #11 etc 23:19  |  citizen zero 05/07/08
      54.   algerian 00:12  |  alan 06/07/08
      55.   Iranian Supreme Council`s Rights 00:33  |  Yosemite 06/07/08
      56.   #2 Chris Linthwaite "It was hand delivered" 00:53  |  H 06/07/08
      57.   Gil...Why Would Iran Arm Al-Qaeda? 01:00  |  Reader 06/07/08
      58.   Reader #53: You ask. - I answer: Iran armed HEZBALLAH. 01:34  |  Vittorio 06/07/08
      59.   #49 Clickfool 01:50  |  Jewlicious 06/07/08
      60.   #59, Jewlicious (nice one, Cyril) to Clickfool.. 04:06  |  Silvienne 06/07/08
      61.   You zionists are so full of hate. 06:15  |  Mohammad Reza 06/07/08
      62.   Use The Neutron Bomb Already! 10:47  |  Ethan 06/07/08
      63.   Use The Neutron Bomb Already! 10:55  |  Ethan 06/07/08
      64.   Use The Neutron Bomb Already! 10:58  |  Ethan 06/07/08
      65.   Idolatrous Israel 18:42  |  Michael The 06/07/08
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