Iran says Tel Aviv cannot affect talks with 5+1

TEHRAN, May 9 (MNA) – Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast said that the Zionist regime cannot negatively affect the next round of talks between Iran and world powers. Mehmanparast made the remarks during his regular press briefing on Tuesday in reply to a question about the fact that European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who represents the six major powers in nuclear negotiations with Tehran, reportedly plans to visit Israel on May 9 to discuss the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program with Israeli officials. Iran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) held a new round of talks in Istanbul on April 14, breaking a 15-month hiatus in talks, and agreed to meet again in Baghdad on May 23. Mehmanparast said, “The Zionist regime is experiencing a serious crisis. The Islamic Awakening developments in the region have put this regime in a very desperate situation. It is experiencing peace neither inside nor outside and feels that it is uninfluential. And a feeling of humiliation that has swept over this regime has compelled this regime to stage a publicity stunt… They (Israeli officials) want to prove that they are still alive and can exert influence. (But) no one pays attention to such remarks since they have no effect, and in the future, I do not think that the Palestinian people will allow (the Zionists) to stay on their land and make decisions.” French election should be a lesson for U.S. officials Mehmanparast also replied to a question about the fact that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a three-day visit to India from May 6 to 8 to seek assurances that India will reduce its purchases of oil from Iran. “If U.S. officials had spent time resolving their country’s problems instead of making efforts to this end, they would have achieved better results… When the people in the United States come to the conclusion that the measures taken by their officials have endangered their interests, they (U.S. officials) will see the result when it comes to the votes of the people in the election,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a reference to the U.S. presidential election, which is scheduled to be held on November 6, 2012. “We think what happened in France can be a lesson to U.S. officials,” Mehmanparast added, referring to the victory of the Socialist Francois Hollande over Nicolas Sarkozy in the second round of the French presidential election, which was held on May 6. Iran hopes for better ties with France On the prospect of the relationship between Iran and France in light of Hollande’s victory, he stated, “Given the change in the situation of the ruling government in France, we hope that new officials in the country will adopt a different attitude and previous political mistakes will be rectified. “There is a great potential for cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and European countries. The historic relationship between us and France necessitates that we use all the potential… to see better ties between the two countries.” Syrian opposition should have voted in parliamentary election In reply to a question about the parliamentary election in Syria, which was held on May 7, Mehmanparast said, “We think that the holding of the parliamentary election is the second step toward reforms, and the participation of the Syrian people in the Syrian election illustrates their profound understanding.” “We regard it as a matter of regret that certain opposition groups in Syria did not participate in the election,” he stated, adding that the opposition should help implement the necessary reforms in the country. Iran congratulates Putin on his presidency He also commented on the fact that Vladimir Putin took the oath of office as Russian president on May 7 and congratulated him and the Russian people on the beginning of his new term. Iran wants to see stable Afghanistan Mehmanparast was also asked to comment on the fact that the parliament of Afghanistan had recently accused Iran of interfering in the internal affairs of the country due to the stance it has adopted toward the U.S.-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement. U.S. President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed the Enduring Strategic Partnership Agreement between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United States of America in Kabul on May 1. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said, “Peace, stability, and insecurity in Afghanistan is of high significance for us… Any instability and insecurity in Afghanistan affects our country. We regard the presence of foreign forces, the presence of U.S. forces and their allies, as the root cause of insecurity and instability in regional countries, particularly in Afghanistan.” Efforts underway to undermine Iran-5+1 talks During the press briefing, Mehmanparast also replied to a question about the fact that the European Union told Iran on May 7 that it must suspend uranium enrichment and that the United States called on Iran on the same day to take “urgent practical steps” to build confidence during its negotiations with world powers. The Iranian official stated that such comments are made with the aim of negatively affecting the atmosphere of talks in Baghdad. Iran, IAEA meeting meant to set framework for cooperation In addition, he was asked to comment on the remarks that International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano made on May 4, in which he said that gaining access to the Parchin military site, which is located southeast of Tehran, will be the priority for the UN nuclear watchdog when it resumes talks with Tehran. Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog have agreed to meet at the office of the Islamic Republic’s diplomatic mission to international organizations in Vienna on May 14 and 15. Tehran rejected requests by the IAEA delegations to inspect the Parchin site during their visits to Iran from January 29 to 31 and February 21 to 22. Mehmanparast stated, “Negotiations that will be held between our country’s representatives and IAEA officials will be about mutual cooperation… and will be held to define a framework for cooperation.” Iran has always been ready to cooperate with the agency to help clear up ambiguities, he added. (By Elham Pourmohammadi)