Araghchi: sanctions removal one of objectives in negotiations

TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) – Iran’s senior nuclear negotiator told a meeting on nuclear joint statement in Tehran, Iranian side is not a loser in negotiations. On Monday a meeting in Allameh Tabatabaei University brought together a group of students and interested public and critics of the recent joint statement of Lausanne on the one hand and a senior nuclear negotiator Seyed Abbas Araghchi on the other. Araghchi came to the fore by first holding that despite assumptions by some of critics of the joint statement, Iranian side had been a winner, since if it was a loser, Congress would give president Obama the green light to continue negotiations, Araghchi argued. “Essentially, no agreement has been hammered out yet; only a single-step agreement will be fashioned early or late June or perhaps later,” Araghchi told the meeting, “what is known as Lausanne joint statement is a sum of ‘solutions;’ I would invite our friends critical of the statement to notice this fact,” he addressed the critics wryly. “We currently have agreed on some solutions in roughly all issues including the very fact of enrichment, Natanz, Fordow, and Arak complexes; we know how to address and solve these grave issues, however, these solutions should be drafted, which is a tougher part of the task than even it was in the past,” Araghchi asserted, adding that excessive demands by western negotiators would bring to failure the whole negotiation and with it hopes for a deal. Araghchi cited a move by Congress in berating Obama on nuclear statement with Iran as the last of what he believed were ‘hands seeking envyingly non-agreement.’ “Surprisingly, Congress would not interpret the statement as desirable for the US; this is an unprecedented move by standards of international relations that 47 representatives of a hostile country write a letter to the leader of a second country whom they deem enemy, warning not to be deceived in a negotiation where their own officials participate as a party,” held the senior nuclear negotiator. “I assume that the critics of joint statement have concerns and serious preoccupations on mainly details of negotiations including possible infringements in removing sanctions and trust in IAEA; however, I would honestly deem their other concerns as rooted in a sheer lack of information,” Araghchi admitted. “These views would cast a shadow of doubt to our participation in negotiations as possibly caused by the pressures of sanctions, and that we negotiated mainly to address the sanctions; however, it was all too simplistic; we sought to advertize our nuclear achievements to the international community and garner their respect,” he told the meeting. Araghchi revealed that Iranian negotiators initially sought to have the upper hand in a battle of wills between Iran and the western negotiators; “enrichment was an issue for more extensive confrontation; they worked to impose on us the idea that we should abandon enrichment since they had concerns over that,” Araghchi said, “however, we proved our rights according to NPT articles; never in anywhere during negotiations did we demand that west recognize our rights; rather, we demanded that they respect our recognized rights by the NPT,” he rejoiced to tell the meeting. Araghchi rhetorically asked who had been made concessions during past decade, and whose will came triumphant and dominant; “this is the Islamic Republic of Iran who is the winner, coming out of six UN resolutions unscathed along with its rights to enrichment ensured; with all pressures and military threats, who came in terms with the issue and abandoned the bold demand of zero percent enrichment,” Araghchi asked the audience, ensuring the meeting that Iran would turn into an industrial enrichment hub in a process of 10 to 15 years, which is recognized by the UN as legitimate.