Iran's foreign minister said yesterday that a Western package of
incentives designed to persuade Teheran to suspend uranium
enrichment is a "step forward" in the nuclear dispute.
"We consider it a step forward to present this package of
incentives," Manouchehr Mottaki said as he arrived at Madrid
airport for talks with his Spanish counterpart. He was referring to
a proposal devised by the five permanent members of the UN Security
Council plus Germany that was presented to Teheran last week.
Mottaki would not specify when Teheran might make a decision on
whether to accept the incentives. "We are going to review and study
the proposals seriously," he told reporters.
Mottaki said that, after Iran had reviewed the incentives, it
would consult with Germany, Britain and France to express its
views.
"Then we'll decide together how to handle the issue and follow
up the matter to the finalization and solution of the problem," he
said in English. Spain was not one of the countries involved in the
incentives package.
Mottaki said Iran also would hold discussions with other
European countries, China, Russia and non-aligned nations.
Referring to the discussions in general that Iran will hold, he
said: "We think we are going to work seriously to this end to
guarantee the legitimate right of our country and overcome the
concerns of the other side."
The incentives include an offer to provide Iran with nuclear
technology to get it to step away from enriching uranium, and would
bring Washington into direct talks with Teheran.
(China Daily June 15, 2006)
