MOSCOW, March 2 (RIA Novosti) - Iran's top nuclear negotiator said Thursday the country was open for talks with Russia on uranium enrichment and with the European Union trio on its nuclear program, as long as the international community recognized its right to pursue a civilian atomic research.
In Moscow for the latest round of talks on the issue, Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran was ready to restrict itself to nuclear research and allow in international weapons inspectors, but warned it would not bow to threats.
Negotiations on a proposal to open a joint venture in Russia to enrich uranium for nuclear power plants in Iran ended in Moscow Wednesday, with both parties resolving to continue discussions shortly.
Larijani said Iran wanted all proposals on any joint venture to enrich uranium on Russian soil to be considered in one package.
"We have prepared a package of proposals for Russia so that discussions could be held in more convenient conditions for us and so that we could respond to all questions and concerns," he said.
The joint venture initiative is designed to prevent Iran from producing weapons-grade material and to head off economic sanctions against the country, which is accused by the U.S., Europe and Israel of pursuing a military nuclear program in secret. Russia's proposal has been widely seen as a potential solution to the current standoff over Iran's controversial nuclear research program, which was recently resumed after a two-year moratorium. Russia has been urging Iran to re-impose the moratorium.
Larijani said Iran hoped that talks with Russia on a package of proposals would resume soon, but declined to set any exact date.
"Diplomats need time to think," he said. "Our opinions coincided on many of the issues discussed at the talks yesterday, but a raft of measures require thorough thinking."
Meanwhile, the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear watchdog, is scheduled to meet on March 6 to determine if Iran is in breach of its international nuclear commitments and whether it should be referred to the UN Security Council, which could impose economic sanctions against the energy-rich country.
Iran insists it needs nuclear technology for power generation, citing its rights under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
IAEA Director General Mohammed ElBaradei said in late January that UN checks had failed to produce any convincing evidence that Iran was pursuing military programs, and urged the country to restrict itself to civilian research. Larijani said Iran was willing to accept ElBaradei's proposal.
"[Mohammed] ElBaradei's proposal is realistic," Larijani said. "We hope some people will listen to it."
Larijani also said Iran would meet with the EU3 of Germany, France and Britain at the negotiating table by March 6 when the IAEA board session is to decide on its referral.
He said Iran was willing to accept "any sensible approach" at talks with the EU3, who are major negotiators alongside Russia, the United States, and China.
Larijani said the talks would signal Iran's openness for further constructive dialog, but warned it would not give in to pressure. He said the agreement with Russia had to address "false and real" concerns expressed by the United States, which has with Israel been leading the case to refer Iran to the UN.
"[The U.S.] claims that Iran seeks nuclear weapons, which is not true," Larijani said. "We want the [Russian] project to set out UN inspection and monitoring procedures. A comprehensive approach could give answers to all emerging issues."
Larijani accused the U.S. of attempting to block Russia's joint venture initiative, and said the U.S. push to refer Iran to the UN Security Council was stalling the venture. He added that the U.S. policy could scupper the Russian proposal and warned that the initiative would be the first to be dropped if Iran were reported to the UN Security Council.
Larijani said the U.S. did not like the idea of Russia coming up with such a constructive proposal, and was trying to seize the initiative.
Larijani called on the international community to recognize his country's right to nuclear research for peaceful purposes. Iran will not oppose IAEA weapons inspections if its right to a civilian nuclear program is guaranteed, he said.
"If the IAEA and some leading states guarantee Iran's inalienable right to pursue peaceful nuclear programs, there will be no obstacles to IAEA inspections," Larijani said. He added that UN inspections and Iran's rights had to be discussed as one issue.
Otherwise, he said, international weapons inspectors would only be allowed to make fewer checks, and the region would be destabilized.
"Referring the nuclear case to the UN Security Council would be an act of reckless adventurism," Larijani said, adding that his nation had no fear and that threats had no effect on Iran.
"Iran rejects the language of threats. In any event, we are not afraid," he said.
Larijani also proposed creating a permanent security body in the Middle East.
"We have friendly relations with our neighbors, and believe we can establish a permanent security body in the region," Larijani said, adding this was only possible if the United States stopped creating tensions there.
Iran's nuclear ambitions have been the subject of particular attention since hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected president last year. His call for Israel to be "wiped from the face of the map" was roundly condemned. It also raised the specter of military action, as Israel destroyed a nuclear facility in Iraq in connection with similar fears in an air strike in 1981.
Iran's three main research facilities are located in Natanz, 1,700km (1,000 miles) from the Israeli border. Although U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice condemned Tehran's "dangerous defiance of the entire international community" in mid-January, she said Washington had no plans "at this point" for any military intervention.
