Iran Talks ‘Substantial,’ More Scheduled
Kerry Downplays Progress as 'Change in Tone'
by Jason Ditz, September 26, 2013
European and Iranian officials expressed an upbeat tone over the latest round of talks on the nation’s civilian nuclear program, saying that there had been “substantial” accomplishments made, and an ambitious timetable was set for further talks.
The next round of talks were scheduled for a two-day meeting in Geneva on October 15 and 16, according to European Union Catherine Ashton, who says that the process will move into practical specifics at that meeting.
Everyone seemed quite pleased with the accomplishments of the latest talk, though Secretary of State John Kerry downplayed the situation, saying that it amounted to little more than a “change in tone” and that Iran hadn’t answered any of America’s questions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif says that the talks aim at a final resolution of the international complaints and a full removal of sanctions against the nation.
Iran Sets Framework For Nuclear Program Negotiations: Demands Lifting Of All Sanctions
Moments ago, John Kerry sat down with the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to once again attempt to reach a deal on the Iranian nuclear program.
As BBC reported, "Iran has been negotiating over the nuclear issue since 2006 with the P5+1 - the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany. Since Mr Rouhani's election in June, Iranian officials have reached out to the West, saying they want to address concerns over Iran's nuclear programme. On Tuesday, Mr Rouhani told the General Assembly that he was prepared to engage in "time-bound and results-oriented" talks. On Thursday, he called for stricter controls on nuclear weapons as part of a global effort to eventually rid the world of them. "No nation should possess nuclear weapons, since there are no right hands for these wrong weapons," he said, speaking on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement at the General Assembly."
As is well-known, The P5+1 have repeatedly asked Iran to halt production and stockpiling of uranium enriched to 20% - a step away from achieving a nuclear weapons capability. They have also demanded Iran shut down the Fordo underground enrichment facility.
In return, and perhaps emboldened by the recent embarrassment of the Obama administration not only at the hands of the diplomatic finesse of one Vladimir Putin, but indirectly, from Syria's president Assad, Iran was prompt to make it clear that in a multi-polar world in which the US is no longer the undisputed superpower, it has its own set of demands.
To wit:
http://rt.com/news/iran-nuclear-deal-rouhani-355/
Iran's Rouhani wants nuclear deal ‘in 3 to 6 months’
Reaching a nuclear deal with P5+1 should be a matter of “months, not years” the Iranian president Hassan Rouhani said in an interview with the Washington Post, indicating that he is ready to come to terms within a three-month timetable.
Iran wants to move forward with negotiations very quickly and find a resolution on nuclear issues as soon as possible, the president told Post contributor David Ignatius. Rouhani reiterated that Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, fully empowered him to “finalize the nuclear talks.”
According to Rouhani, Iran is ready to offer unprecedented transparency of its nuclear facilities and may allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to assess their “possible military dimensions” to prove its nuclear program is peaceful and not aimed at building a bomb.
The Iranian president declared his readiness to immediately engage in result-oriented talks during his speech at the UN General Assembly the day prior.
While the West consistently suspects the military nature of Iran’s nuclear program, Rouhani stressed that “nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction have no place in Iran's security and defense doctrine, and contradict our fundamental religious and ethical convictions.”
DETAILS TO FOLLOW
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MID-01-230913.html
Zarif turbocharges Iran's diplomacy
By Kaveh L Afrasiabi
NEW YORK - Dr Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's new foreign minister, is in New York to attend the UN General Assembly meeting and at the same time advance Iran's foreign policy priorities at a delicate time in Middle East politics which is wrought with multiple conflicts and endemic insecurities.
Since his appointment and subsequent enthusiastic approval by the Iranian Parliament (Majlis), Zarif has traveled first to Iraq and then Central Asia, for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, which endorsed Iran's peaceful nuclear program, arriving in New York with a bundle of pressing issues that pose serious foreign policy challenges to Iran, and hoping to secure win-win" concrete results from the intense week of negotiations.
In a conversation with the author on Friday, Zarif elaborated on his perspective on Iran's foreign policy priorities and his expectations from the trip, which entails marathon meetings with several dozen UN diplomats. After six years of "academic rest" following his return to Iran as Iran's ambassador to the UN after Mahmud Ahmadinejad's victory, Zarif is now re-energized and ready to take on the chore that will include extensive travels in the months to come.
The diplomat-turned-professor of international relations-turned foreign minister has published a few volumes on international organizations and is keenly aware of the complex dynamic of power relations operative at the UN and other international bodies and the various constraints and opportunities provided by them to "middle power" countries such as Iran.
Zarif, now shouldered with the responsibility of the nuclear file, which has been transferred from the (inter-agency) Supreme National Security Council to the Foreign Ministry, has an impeccable record in, among others, the past nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conferences and is generally credited for advancing the interests of developing nations at those conference, not to mention his often-cited role in brokering a deal for post-Taliban rule in Afghanistan. An enthusiastic supporter of the UN's idea of a Middle East nuclear weapons-free zone, Zarif has expressed dismay at the US's recent cancellation of the conference on the subject and yet is optimistic about the initiative's prospects.
With respect to the nuclear issue, Zarif insists that "it is relatively easy to resolve" and much depends on "political will and foresight" by the other side in order to end an "unnecessary crisis" since Iran is "100% against nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons have no place in Iran's national security outlook."
When pressed on the nuclear issue, Zarif replied that Iran has in the past demonstrated that it is capable of defending itself with a conventional army, has not attacked another country for the past 250 years and has no hostile intentions. He said there is a futility to having a "nuclear armed" Iran as long as it does not have "second strike capability" in the face of the overwhelming nuclear might of countries such as the United States.
He pointed out that his predecessor, Ali Abkar Salehi, who now heads Iran's atomic organization, has met the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with a view to finalizing a new transparency agreement and thus build more international confidence in Iran's peaceful program, which "has no weapons component whatsoever."
Such categorical statements against nuclear weapons have been heard before, above all from the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei as well as President Hassan Rouhani, who in his first interview with an American media outfit stated categorically that Iran will not produce nuclear weapons "under any circumstance." What is new about the Rouhani-Zarif approach, however, is the provision of fresh perspective and added depth to the Iranian counter-proliferation stance, based on Iran's national security calculus.
According to Zarif, one of the problems with the Americans is that "they have enjoyed a free lunch" with one-way "illegitimate" sanctions against Iran, without having to incur many costs and it is now time to tell them "the free lunch is over" and that an opening for a "paradigm change" on Iran has arrived.
Zarif is a true believer in the force of communication and diplomacy, and is intent on "re-educating" the Americans and the West about Iran, described as a status quo power in the region and "stability provider" that has "very cordial relations" with Iraq and Afghanistan, two neighboring countries still grappling with the impact of post 9/11 invasions. "I was in Iraq recently and during the holy month alone over 1,000 Iraqis died in Baghdad, an alarming situation."
One of the tragic pitfalls of American policy in the Middle East, according to Zarif, is the short-sighted approaches that disregard negative long-term consequences, such as US's decision to arm the Syrian rebels, many of whom are in bed with al-Qaeda. Zarif cited a recent report that indicated the majority of leading groups fighting the government in Syria are radical jihadists with strong links to al-Qaeda. Zarif insisted that there is no legitimacy and legal justification for the US military threat against Syria, thus hinting that Iran like Russia and China is opposed to the US and European push for a UN Security Council resolution that would put a seal of approval on attacking Damascus if it failed to implement the chemical weapons disarmament agreement brokered by Russia.
"As you know Iran has been a main victim of use of chemical weapons in the past and therefore we are extra sensitive about this subject and we stand for universal adoption of the protocol on prohibition of chemical weapons." Another point of concern by Zarif is the Syrian opposition's access to chemical weapons, in light of an Iranian report to the US nine months ago regarding the shipment of Sarin gas to the rebels.
But is America willing and ready to reciprocate Iran's significant gestures of conciliation? Zarif is guardedly optimistic, an optimism based first and foremost on his "faith in Iran's diplomatic ability". Citing the need for a "cognitive shift" in America toward Iran, Zarif insisted that "we need to change the American calculus on Iran nuclear and other issues". On a broader level, Zarif is determined to educate the West about their own forgotten legacy of "banning war as an instrument of national policy," which was promulgated in the aftermath of World War I. This forgotten "cognitive gap" between principles and policies must be raised anew, as part of a new approach to international affairs, based on the UN principles and "proactive diplomacy of constructive and prudent engagement".
Also, Zarif referred to the attractions of "Iran model," the fact that "election is power" and the orderly, popular and legitimate election process in Iran is a priceless example of the viability of Iran's political system that is behind Iran's ability today to be a major player in the international scene still mired in various "distortions of power," inequities and injustices.
In conclusion, Iran's foreign policy machinery is now blessed with an astute observer of global diplomacy with intimate knowledge of American politics and its traditional susceptibility to "third power influence", who nevertheless exudes real confidence in the ability to "push the scourge of war to a corner", not only for the sake of Iran and its neighbors but also the whole world community. "I would describe myself as an optimistic realist, not an idealist but we need hope and will to peace to generate a better reality on the ground especially in the Middle East."
Iran's elite military warns of dangers of dealing with U.S
Reuters – Sun, Sep 22, 2013- Reuters/Reuters - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is pictured during an interview with Ann Curry from the U.S. television network NBC in Tehran, in this picture taken September 18, 2013, and provided by the
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard has warned of the dangers of dealing with U.S. officials, ahead of expected diplomatic contacts, underlining the internal challenges President Hassan Rouhani could face to improve ties with the West.
Rouhani is expected to pursue a charm offensive in the coming week while in New York for the U.N. General Assembly in order to set the right tone for further nuclear talks with world powers which he hopes will bring relief from sanctions, according to diplomats and analysts.
Hours before leaving for New York on Sunday, the new Iranian president said that Tehran was ready for negotiations with Western powers provided they set no pre-conditions. He also said the world needed to accept Iran's right to enrich uranium.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military force was established to safeguard Iran's revolution in 1979 and has since influenced political, social and economic affairs.
"Historical experiences make it necessary for the diplomatic apparatus of our country to carefully and skeptically monitor the behavior of White House officials so that the righteous demands of our nation are recognized and respected by those who favor interaction," an IRGC statement said.
It added the IRGC would support initiatives that were in line with national interests and strategies set forth by Iran's theocratic leader and highest authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The United States and its allies have imposed tough economic sanctions on Iran over suspicions Tehran intends to develop a nuclear capability. Iran says the program is purely peaceful.
The IRGC statement, published by Iran's Tasnim news agency on Saturday and marking the 33rd anniversary of the start of the Iran-Iraq war, came days after Khamenei and Rouhani told the security hardliners to stay out of politics, in effect instructing them not to scupper the new centrist government's attempt to resolve the nuclear dispute.
CLOUT
The 125,000-strong IRGC has a military budget that is said to dwarf that of the regular armed forces. Its top commanders are handpicked by Khamenei but its clout also derives from former members who have occupied positions of influence in business, parliament and across provincial government.
Rouhani spoke about negotiations with the West when addressing the military parade on Sunday to commemorate the annual "Sacred Defence Week".
"In these talks all the rights of Iran, including nuclear and enrichment rights on our own territory should be accepted within the framework of international law," he said, according to state news agency IRNA.
Rouhani also paid homage to Iran's armed forces and indicated that the country would not forget about the suffering former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein imposed on Iran, and his backing from Arab and western states.
Iranian television showed footage of the parade featuring Sajjil and Ghadr missiles which commanders claim have a range of about 2,000 km (1,200 miles). Media reports said the latest air defence systems were also showcased.
"Our armed forces do not aim to dominate and colonize the region but in the face of aggression they will not dither and will defend the independence and the honor of our country and revolution with all their might," Rouhani said.
U.S. President Barack Obama and his aides have made clear that they are ready to test Rouhani's intentions to seek a diplomatic solution to the nuclear dispute.
The White House has left open the possibility Obama and Rouhani could meet on the sidelines of the U.N. meeting, and a U.S. official has privately acknowledged the administration's desire to engineer a handshake between the two leaders, which would be the highest-level U.S.-Iranian contact since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Last week, Khamenei appeared to give his strongest endorsement yet to Rouhani's attempts to initiate talks with the United States, saying he agreed with "heroic flexibility".
Reflecting optimism over Rouhani's diplomatic initiative, Iran's currency, the rial, has strengthened against the dollar by more than six percent. Open-market traders currently offer around 29,000 rials to the dollar versus 31,500 a week ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment