Nov 30, 2009, 8:04 GMT
Tehran - Iran is still open to diplomacy despite the latest tensions over the nuclear dispute, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said Monday.
'There is still room for diplomacy so that Iran goes ahead (with its nuclear programmes) under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and within international regulations,' the speaker said at a press conference in Tehran.
'But the world powers are free to adopt other policies, and then we will adopt other policies, as well,' said Larijani, who was the chief nuclear negotiator from 2005 to 2007.
The Vienna-based IAEA on Friday adopted a resolution censuring Iran for secretly building a new nuclear enrichment plant at Fordo near the capital, Tehran.
'The Fordo plant is not even ready and already inspected by the IAEA - therefore this resolution against Iran can only be classified as political adventurism,' the speaker said.
The parliament on Sunday issued a statement condemning the IAEA resolution and calling on the government to restrict cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.
Larijani said the 'carrot-and-stick' policies of the world powers, which he described as 'political cheating,' would not work anymore.
In a first governmental reaction to the resolution, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday ordered the country's atomic energy agency to build 10 more uranium-enrichment sites.
Upon the presidential order, construction of five of the sites at existing locations should start within the next two months, and suitable locations be found for the remaining five.
Ahmadinejad said the country's development goals require the gradual addition of 20,000 megawatts of electricity to the grid, and that 500,000 new centrifuges - preferably new devices with a higher speed - become operational in at least 10 new uranium enrichment sites.
Larijani denied that the order for the construction of new sites was a 'political bluff.'
'The West believed that Iran would never be capable of having a centrifuge cascade but we were, so let them stay happy thinking so [that it is a political bluff],' Larijani said.
Larijani, however, noted that any decisions on the nuclear issue would be made under the supervision of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, indicating that neither the executive nor legislators would be authorized to make final decisions.
'With regard to limiting cooperation with the IAEA, the parliament's foreign policy and security commission is currently evaluating the matter,' Larijani said, indicating that no decision has yet been made on future cooperation with the UN watchdog.
'The fact is, however, that the IAEA has violated the basics of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which obliges the IAEA to help member states with technical assistance,' the speaker added.
Larijani also rejected rumours - and remarks by some legislators - that Iran would retreat from the NPT. He said the country would never bow to political pressure or incentives to suspend its nuclear projects either.
'Nuclear technology is a key issue in our country and the world powers would make a grave mistake by believing that we would give up this technology and exchange it for a piece of chocolate,' the speaker said.
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