Iran to give transparent response to 6-nation package
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-06-18 10:57 TEHRAN, June 17 -- Iranian
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Saturday that his country would give
a response with complete transparency to the six-nation package of incentives,
which was in a bid to resolve Iran's nuclear dispute.
Mottaki made the remarks to reporters after his meeting with visiting Iraqi
politician Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, who heads Iraq's largest Shiite party, the
Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), reported the
official IRNA news agency.
Mottaki told the reporters "the Islamic Republic's response to the package of
incentives offered by Europe will be quite transparent, just like our uranium
enrichment program.?¡À Meanwhile, Mottaki termed the Europe's package as "a step
forward", saying "the Iranian officials reached a consensus on the proposals and
we think it's a move and a step forward."
"The package takes both sides' views into consideration,"Mottaki was quoted
as saying, stressing that Iran would carefully review the incentives and may
bring forward its own proposals.?¡À The six world powers have announced their
views, we would carefully study them and give our proposals to the Europeans,
and they should also review them," said Mottaki, adding "talks between the two
sides will continue."
He said "obviously, the two sides can cooperate with each other, but Iranian
officials would not hurry on reviewing the Europe's package and would give the
other side our views just after meticulous study of it."
On June 6, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana presented to
Iran a new package over Iran's nuclear issue, which had been agreed by the five
permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany in a
meeting in Vienna. The proposal includes both incentives aimed at persuading
Iran to suspend uranium enrichment and possible sanctions if Iran chooses not to
comply.
Iran's top officials have expressed cautious optimism over the new package
after their meetings with Solana, saying "there were positive steps but also
ambiguities in the package, Iran could only accept parts of the proposals and
may bring forward its own opinions, which could be a counter-proposal."
The United States has accused Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons
under a civilian front, a charge categorically denied by
Tehran.
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