Iran Prepares for Negotiations, Rejects Bullying, Bans Imports
Tehran's decision to counter hostile European measures against the country was made after the EU foreign ministers agreed on January 23 to ban oil imports from Iran and freeze the assets of its Central Bank.
Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili declared Wednesday that his country was prepared for the negotiations with group 5+1, and that it will be proposing new suggestions, according to al-Alam TV station.
According to the channel, Jalili said in a press conference in Tehran that he hoped the other part would follow a similar method during the negotiations, indicating that "the language of threats and pressure against Iran would never bring results".
Also, the Iranian official pointed out that the Islamic Republic was able to succeed and progress on various levels, assuring that "the Islamic awakening in the region, the firm national cohesion that resulted from the elections, as well as the scientific and technical progress in various fields, enables Iran to defend its rights even more than before."
On the same line, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned earlier Wednesday countries of using the language of force and insults.
"A bullying rhetoric will not affect the Iranian nation," IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying before a large group of people in the Iranian southern island of Abu Moussa.
On another level, the Iranian president advised some regional states to halt supplying arms to terrorist groups in other countries, cautioning them that they might face the same thing in the future.
According to Fars news agency, Ahmadinejad said that "if you send your money to pay for weapons and harm other states, you should know that the day will come when the arrogant powers would do the same to you."
"Rulers of some regional states should not assume that they are the arrogant powers' blue-eyed boys for we tell them that these very same arrogant powers will do the same to them," he added.
Iran and the P5+1- Russia, China, France, Britain, the US and Germany -- will hold a fresh round of talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Saturday, April 14, and the second will be in Baghdad.
On another note, it seems that Iran plans to ban imports from European companies as part of its countersanctions against the European Union (EU).
Deputy President of Iran Trade Promotion Organization Sasan Khodaei confirmed that Iran has banned imports from 100 European countries.
Khodaei on Wednesday said Tehran has imposed sanctions against 100 European companies in line with the policy to counter "antagonistic measures" by the EU, according to Press tv.
Khodaei added that the banned goods include "luxury items" which Iran has been able to produce them itself.
On February 15 Iran's Oil Ministry announced plans to cut oil exports to six European countries -- including the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France, Greece and Portugal -- and in the first step cut crude sales to British and French firms on February 19.
Tehran has so far cut oil exports to Greece, Spain and Germany and is considering halting crude exports to Italy as well.
The US and EU accuse Iran of pursuing a military program under the cover of its nuclear energy work despite the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has found no evidence to this end.
Tehran refutes their claims arguing that as a committed member of the IAEA and a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty it is entitled to peaceful uses of the nuclear energy.
Source: News Agencies
