Crack in sanctions cannot be repaired: Iranian president

TEHRAN,July 2(MNA) – President Hassan Rouhani said that the sanctions imposed on Iran have already been eased through actions taken by his government and the nuclear negotiating team. “The bowl of sanctions has broken… and [nobody] can return this broken bowl to its previous state,” Rouhani said during a ceremony held to commemorate Iran’s Industry and Mining Day in Tehran on Tuesday. He said the Iranian nuclear negotiating team is competent and experienced enough in talks with the six major powers (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany). Despite all the difficulties, the nuclear talks will continue until achieving “final success”, he stated. Iran and the six world powers are set to resume talks on Wednesday in the Austrian capital Vienna. Iran and the major powers have set a July 20 deadline to clinch a long-term comprehensive nuclear deal. But the deadline can be extended by another half year if both sides agree. ‘Fraternal ties with neighbors’ Commenting on the expansion of relations with neighboring countries, Rouhani said that Iran wants to have fraternal ties with neighboring counties, which would serve the interests of the countries of the region. He went on to say that Iran is making every effort to maintain peace and stability in the region. Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian president asked why Iran cannot be called an industrialized country. Rouhani said some countries have succeeded in achieving development either due to having gas reserves or mines or major universities or access to the open seas. But Iran, which is gifted with all these things, cannot be called an industrialized country because its products cannot compete in international markets, he observed. Thus, the administration and the private sector should hold talks on production and industry to resolve this problem, he added. No decisions without consultation Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian president said the national decisions taken between the years 2005 and 2013 will not be “repeated again” and from now on, no decision will be made without consultation. He was indirectly referring to the decisions taken by the administration of former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was in office for two consecutive four-year terms from 2005 to 2013. “No decision will be made without consultation,” Rouhani noted.