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No Decision Taken Yet on Negotiating Sides Change - Iran's Foreign Minister

Posted on: Sunday, 11 September 2005, 09:00 CDT

Text of report in English by Iranian news agency IRNA website

Tehran, 11 September: Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said here Sunday [11 Septmber] no decision has been taken yet on the part of Iran to change the negotiating sides on its nuclear case.

Mottaki, who received a vote of confidence from Majlis as foreign minister on 24 August, made the remark while talking to domestic and foreign reporters in his first press conference.

"Any change in nuclear negotiating sides can be discussed. The issue of talks with certain member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement or other states has been raised but Iran has made no decision yet in this regard," he said.

Pointing to presence of the US delegations in talks on certain issues including Afghanistan, he added, "We received no requests from the Americans to attend the talks (on Iran's nuclear case)." Mottaki stated talks with the European Union has been stopped but "efforts are underway to resume the negotiations."

He stressed, "Iran agrees and welcomes continuation of talks without any preconditions."

Asked about establishment of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations at Iran's Foreign Ministry, the minister said the council is to review the country's foreign relations based on comprehensive studies and research and help various executive branches of the diplomatic apparatus.

He said the council will help in drawing up strategies in Iran's foreign relations, adding management of the executive sectors of Foreign Ministry will play a key role in determining demands while the elites' presence will be effective in offering ideas and appropriate theories.

Asked about bilateral ties between Iran and Japan, Mottaki said the two sides enjoyed deep-rooted relations and extensive

cooperation.

He expressed hope that friendly cooperation between the two countries would receive further boost in the future.

Source: BBC Monitoring Middle East

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