Zarif: Any Agreement Should Be Based On Mutual Confidence Far From Illusions

Munich, Feb 3, IRNA – Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he believed the present situation was apt for striking a nuclear agreement. He made the remarks here on Sunday during an expert meeting which was held on the last day of the Munich Security Conference attended by Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano, a US senator and the Sweden foreign minister. Zarif said the US illusion that it could wipe out the entity of the Iranian peaceful nuclear program made it act against the deal but I believe that the current situation makes reaching an agreement quite possible. Highlighting the high wall of distrust still existing between the two sides, he said the two are in need of trust building at the present situation. He further stressed the need for a realistic look towards the present developments and said that the new administration in Iran led by President Hassan Rouhani is determined to settle the nuclear issue. The foreign minister also termed it as a great mistake the idea hold by certain people that Iran conceded to talks because of sanctions, noting that when the sanctions first started Iran had only 200 centrifuges while now after ten years the number has risen to 19,000 with a totally indigenous nuclear technology. He said that the government of President Rouhani is after constructive cooperation with the whole world and in order to achieve the goal it has started with Iran’s neighboring countries. He said Iran enjoys very favorable ties with Turkey, The UAE, Oman and Kuwait and hoped to establish good relations with countries such as Saudi Arabia in near future. Dismissing the claims that Iran has been developing its nuclear program secretly, Zarif said the West, contrary to its promises, barred transfer of the nuclear technology to Iran, forcing it to rely on its own sources. Today, he said, Iran has a totally indigenous nuclear technology and is not depending on others. Zarif reiterated that since Iran has developed its nuclear technology by its own, therefore it does not need permission of any one to use it./end