Mehmanparast:expansion of Iran-Egypt cooperation would benefit both nations as well as the entire region

 (Feb 12, 2013) Talking to reporters at his weekly news conference, Ramin Mehmanparast described the recent visit to Egypt of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as very important.

Iran and Egypt enjoy significant potentials to boost bilateral relations in line with establishment of stability in the region, he reiterated.
He said Iran, as the current president of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), is duty bound to help resolve regional problems.
Examining issues of Palestine and Syria are on Iran’s agenda, Mehmanparast noted.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tuesday that referring Iran’s nuclear case to the UN Security Council by the International Atomic Energy Agency will be an unacceptable and illegal act.
The spokesman made the remarks during his weekly press conference while commenting on the IAEA’s threat of referring Iran’s peaceful nuclear case to the UNSC if the upcoming talks between the agency’s representatives and the Iranian officials failed.
The talks are slated for February 13.
“The issue of Iran-IAEA talks has a clear and transparent framework. The talks will be held on technical basis and upon the regulations of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)”, Mehmanparast noted.
Stressing that Iran has had the maximum cooperation with the IAEA, the spokesman said Iran’s nuclear facilities are constantly monitored by the agency’s inspectors and its nuclear activities are carried out under direct supervision of the UN nuclear watchdog.
Mehmanparast added that the prospect of reaching an agreement during the next round of Iran-IAEA talks will be “bright” if only the other side recognizes Tehran’s nuclear rights based on NPT.
He reiterated that it was the IAEA’s fault if the so-called ambiguities over Iran’s peaceful nuclear program still existed.
The 7th round of Iran-IAEA experts meeting was held on January 16-17.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast Tuesday confirmed reports that Iran was converting some of its 20-percent uranium into fuel for Tehran Research Reactor.
Iran has sent a complete report to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about its activities to convert the 20-percent uranium into fuel and the task is presently underway,” Mehmanparast told reporters at his weekly press conference.
Confirming reports made by diplomats in Vienna that Iran was converting parts of its 20-percent uranium into fuel, the spokesman said Tehran has repeatedly asked the IAEA for supplying required fuel for Tehran research reactor.
“However, when we received no positive response from the Agency, we started to meet our demands with the help of the Iranian experts,” the spokesman said.
Asked if Iran would let the IAEA inspectors visit Parchin site before any bilateral agreement was made on new modality between the two sides, Mehmanparast said, “Iran has repeatedly voiced its readiness to reach a comprehensive agreement with the IAEA which would recognize the former’s nuclear rights based on the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).”