Vaeidi said in an interview with state television that he would meet EU external relations’ director Robert Cooper next week to prepare grounds for the round of talks between Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Saeid Jalili and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
Vaeidi said after the technical evaluation of the Iranian nuclear programme by the IAEA, Tehran was also ready to discuss with the EU the political aspects of the issue.
‘We are not afraid of negotiations as we have nothing to hide. But we will not give up our nuclear rights,’ he said, referring to the main international demand for the suspension of uranium enrichment.
The United Nations nuclear watchdog on Thursday passed a mixed verdict on Iran, saying the country was generally telling the truth, but lacking full transparency and being reactive rather than proactive.
Iran however celebrated the IAEA report as a political victory and proof for the peaceful nature of its nuclear programmes, and said there was no justification or legal basis for a third United Nations Security Council resolution and harsher financial sanctions as envisaged by the United States and some of the European countries.
Following the IAEA report, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad proclaimed victoriously that all accusations by the West that Iran is following a military nuclear plan have been neutralised and ‘as far as we are concerned, the Iranian nuclear dossier should be closed.’
Ahmadinejad further stressed that Iran’s nuclear programme, including uranium enrichment, would continue decisively regardless what the world powers would decide.
