By IRNA,
London : Iran’s nuclear issue could be solved only through diplomatic negotiations to reach an all-out agreement with the West, a university professor suggested on Saturday.
“I believe that Iran’s nuclear issue will be solved if Iran and the West establish more stable and normalized ties. A comprehensive political agreement should be concluded between Iran and the West so that problems between two sides could be resolved,” Ali Ansari told IRNA from Scotland.
He reiterated the need for mutual respect in political negotiations, saying that both sides will benefit from normalised relations coupled with mutual respect.
Ansari said that establishing ties with certain western states does not infer withdrawing from values and principles.
“There should be a formal channel of communication to propose problems and issues as well as conduct negotiations based on mutual interests,” he said, adding that not all bilateral relations are for purely cordial purposes.
Ansari, who is the director of Saint Andrews University’s Iran Studies Center, said the Iranian government can remove obstacles on its way through adopting non-sensational policies based on realpolitik should it seek new technologies including the nuclear program.
Referring to the increasing role of the Islamic Republic in regional and international equations, he said that the country is gaining its ‘real power after more than 200 years’ by acquiring nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
Asked about the recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding Iran’s nuclear activities, Ansari told IRNA the western approach towards a nuclear Iran has proved ‘inefficient’ in the past decade.
“Although Barack Obama has formally announced that he wants to change America’s policies regarding Iran, we have been witness to the continuation of policies inherited from George Bush,” he said.
Ansari added that Europeans and Americans have adopted a ‘misguided policy’ towards Iran’s nuclear issue while imposing what he called ‘mistreatments’ on the Iranian government.