By IRNA,
Tehran : Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran has not yet decided to whether or not participate in the upcoming G-8 summit to be held in Italy.
Italy intended to officially invite Iranian officials to participate in the event, which will also discuss the issue of Afghanistan on its sidelines.
Making the remarks in an interview with a Serbian TV channel, he said Iran was still considering the invitation.
Severely criticizing the performance of certain alien countries in Afghanistan, especially because of their failure to establish security and fight the growing trend of narcotics cultivation and trafficking in the country, he said Iran, as an integral part of any solution to the issue of Afghanistan, greatly welcomes restoration of peace and stability to the impoverished nation.
He said Iran was closely monitoring developments in Afghanistan to devise the best and most appropriate policies about it.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he reiterated Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear technology and said Tehran, being a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, has never deviated from its commitments and has the right to benefit from its privileges.
He said the Iranian nation has managed to develop and master the nuclear technology and would never allow anyone to deny this absolute right and remarkable achievement.
Stressing the peaceful nature of the Iranian nation, the foreign minister further said those countries which are the first and only users of atomic bombs have no right to criticize and condemn a country which has no kind of war-mongering record in its recent history.
In answer to a question by the host, Mottaki commented on the issue of America’s missile defense scheme in Europe and said the issue had nothing to do with Iran, particularly given the long history of friendly co-existence between Iran and European states.
He further underlined Iran’s position in not acknowledging the racist regime of Israel.
Mottaki traveled to Belgrade on Friday to hold talks with Serbian officials. He returned home Saturday morning.