Ex-US Defense Secretary Urges Restoring Diplomatic Ties With Iran

Berlin, June 10, IRNA - Former US secretary of defense William Perry called on his country to restore diplomatic ties with Iran in an exclusive interview with IRNA in Berlin. "For one, I don't speak for my government but for myself, would like to see the reopening of diplomatic relationship between the United States and Iran," Perry said. "Iran is a great country. It's a great nation with a long history, thousands of years of history," he added. Perry who served as American secretary of defense from February 1994 to January 1997, stressed it would be "positive" for both the US and Iran to have diplomatic relations. He made clear however that resolving the Iranian nuclear issue was key to reviving diplomatic relations after both countries cut their diplomatic ties after the 1979 Islamic revolution. A professor at Stanford University, the 85-year-old Perry voiced "hope" that the Iranian nuclear problem could be settled "through diplomacy and not military means." He emphasized Washington's diplomacy towards Tehran's nuclear program should not only include "coercive" but also "very positive" measures, among them restoring bilateral diplomatic relations. While Perry "favored direct talks" between the US and Iran, he said it wasn't crucial to solving the Iranian nuclear matter. "I am certainly in favor of direct talks. I don't think it should be considered key to the issue because the Iranian nuclear program affects many nations besides the US, in fact other nations more than the US." He highlighted also the important role of China and Russia in resolving the stalemate over Iran's nuclear program. Meanwhile, Perry lashed out at former US president George W. Bush for his refusal to take part in the Iran nuclear negotiations. "That was a mistake, I think. We are at the table now and I think that is good. And I think we should continue to be at the table. And while I do not oppose one-on-one negotiations between Iran and the United States, I just say it should not be the most important thing," he said. "The most important thing is a strong united international group of which the US can be one of the members and can even be a leader among them but should not act on itself," Perry added./end