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Iranian Foreign Minister Says Likelihood of Referral to UN "Slim"

Posted on: Wednesday, 18 January 2006, 06:00 CST

Text of report by Iranian news agency IRNA

Tehran, 18 January: The Iranian foreign minister has said that the likelihood that Iran's file will be referred to the UN Security Council is "slim".

According to IRNA's political affairs reporter, Manuchehr Mottaki, who was speaking to parliamentary reporters on Wednesday [18 January] on the sidelines of the open Majlis session, said: In the light of circumstances overall, we believe that the likelihood that Iran's file will be referred to the UN Security Council is slim.

Answering a question about Europe's response to Iran's invitation to the European countries for negotiations, Mottaki expressed the hope that the European countries had understood Iran's clear and transparent message and stances, and would not make things difficult for all sides with hasty decisions or, as some countries put it, by taking wrong and hasty steps.

He said: Starting nuclear research is distinct from the production of nuclear fuel; over the past 10 days, we have tried, in talks with European countries - whether in terms of exchanged messages or in terms of talking to the other members of the Board of Governors, including China, Russia and the non-aligned [countries] - to explain this important point and to underline the Islamic Republic of Iran's preparedness to continue the negotiations, especially regarding the most important part of the negotiations, the production of nuclear fuel.

Source: BBC Monitoring Newsfile

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