By Xinhua
Tehran : Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said here on Sunday that Iran will back the talks with Europe if they are carefully planned and are of practical results, the official IRNA news agency reported.
He told the reporters on the sidelines of an international conference on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program that “From now on Iran is ready to cooperate with all sides over the global major issues.”
His statements come days after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that his country would no longer negotiate over its nuclear issue outside the frame of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
No one from outside the IAEA has the jurisdiction over the nuclear program, Ahmadinejad had said, adding that “the time is over now that some people used to show up and talk about Iran’s nuclear issue.”
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Monday plumping down stronger sanctions to press Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities.
Among the 15 members of the Security Council, 14 voted for Resolution 1803 while Indonesia abstained.
The foreign ministers of Germany and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council later on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to a “dual-track approach” to addressing the Iranian nuclear issue.
The United States welcomed the resolution, saying it hopes it will make Iran change its behavior, including its adamant about its uranium enrichment activities.
Washington has accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program. Iran has denied the U.S. charges and insisted that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.