Bilateral Talks With USA Not on Agenda of Iran – Minister

Text of report in English by Iranian official government news agency IRNA website

Tehran, 24 February: Conducting bilateral talks with US officials is not on agenda of Iran, Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said on Sunday [24 February].

Addressing a group of students in a Tehran university, Mottaki said that the recent report of the UN nuclear watchdog on Iran’s nuclear activities would not end US hostility towards Iran.

“US problem with Iran had not started with Tehran’s nuclear programme so that it could have ended now after the release of the IAEA report.”

Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohammad al-Baradi’i released his Iran report on 22 February verifying non-diversion of Iranian nuclear programme.

Referring to US policies towards Iran during the past three decades, Mottaki said, “Iran believes US policies are hostile towards Iran.”

As for Iran-US talks on Iraq, Mottaki said those talks have been held “to help the people of Iraq and restore stability and security in that country.”

In his national broadcast last night, President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad said that the United States has harmed Iranian nation a lot over the past three decades and the extent of the damages the US has inflicted on Iran is to the extent that it can not repair even if it wanted to do so.

Originally published by Islamic Republic News Agency website, Tehran, in English 1217 24 Feb 08.

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