Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, at a press conference on
the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Thursday, insisted that
his country's nuclear program is peaceful and Iran does not need a
nuclear bomb.
Iran has been working within the framework of the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty and has not hidden anything, Ahmadinejad
said.
"The bottom line is we do not need a (nuclear) bomb," he
said.
Later he repeated: "We are not seeking a nuclear bomb, let me
make that clear."
The Iranian leader also indicated that Iran will continue to
hold negotiations with the EU on its nuclear issue by saying that
the talks "are moving on the right path."
"Hopefully others will not disrupt the work. In small ways
perhaps, it is a constructive path to take," he said.
Moreover, Iran is prepared to negotiate on suspending uranium
enrichment activities "under fair and just conditions," he
said.
Ahmadinejad also stressed that Iran has cooperated with the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by providing documents
and access to nuclear facilities. "I am at a loss in understanding
what else we need to provide guarantees," he said.
During his address to the 61st session of the UN General
Assembly, Ahmadinejad asserted that his country's nuclear program
is peaceful, transparent and under the "watchful eye" of the
IAEA.
The UN Security Council passed a resolution in July, asking Iran
to suspend uranium enrichment by the end of August. However, Iran
failed to abide by the resolution and the United States has since
sought to impose sanctions on Iran through the Security
Council.
The United States has accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear
weapons under the cover of civilian nuclear programs. However, Iran
has said that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes
only.
The European Union, represented by its high representative for
foreign policy and security affairs Javier Solana, has favored
continuing negotiations with Iran to try to resolve Iran's nuclear
issue.
(Xinhua News Agency September 22, 2006)
