Iran Wants Nuclear Talks To Continue: Velayati

Tehran, May 18, IRNA – Head of the Center for Strategic Research of Iranˈs Expediency Council, Ali-Akbar Velayati, said Saturday that Iran wants to go ahead with negotiations with the West over its nuclear program. Velayati, also an advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on international affairs, was speaking to reporters after a meeting in Tehran with visiting French Foreign Ministry’s Middle East Affairs Department Director-General R. Jirough. Iran will not wait for permission of anyone in its efforts to protect its inalienable right to nuclear technology, Velayati said. Since the very beginning of nuclear talks with world powers, Iran has always said it is ready to engage in constructive talks to negotiate an end to the decade-long dispute with the West, Velayati added. He noted that Tehran supports the Iranian negotiating team as long as they act within the frameworks of the guidelines of the Supreme Leader. What he said they have done so far, he added. Referring to the last round of nuclear talks in Vienna, during which six world powers and Iran failed to agree on drafting a deal that aims to provide a comprehensive solution to the countryˈs nuclear issue, Velayati said the talks were difficult. ˈAs far as Iˈm concerned the Iranian negotiators did their best,ˈ he said. He said that the nuclear talks will be resumed next month and expressed hope that the next round of talks would yield good results. Velayati stressed he didnˈt believe the talks with the West had reached a stalemate./end