Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday
dismissed future talks with the United States, terming the
negotiation between the two sides as "useless".
"I don't think it's useful for us to negotiate with the United
States, we don't need such negotiations," Khamenei, quoted by local
media.
The supreme leader also reiterated that Iran would not bend to
international pressure demanding a suspension of the uranium
enrichment activities.
"We are not going to negotiate with anyone on our undeniable
right to develop nuclear technology and to use it," stressed
Khamenei.
"If they could respect our legal right, we are prepared to
negotiate over supervision controls," he added.
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana on June 6
presented to Iran a new package over Iran's nuclear issue, which
had been agreed by the five permanent members of the United Nations
Security Council plus Germany in a meeting in Vienna.
The proposal includes both incentives aimed at persuading Iran
to suspend uranium enrichment and possible sanctions if Iran
chooses not to comply.
Western countries have asked Iran to stop enrichment works first
in their proposals to create chance for future negotiations and
have requested Iran to give a formal response to the package in a
few weeks.
But Iran's top officials have repeatedly said their country
wanted talks with the West without any preconditions, vowing Iran
would never give up the legal right to use nuclear technology
peacefully.
In a meeting with Khamenei on June 19, President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad also said Iran didn't want any preconditions over the
nuclear talks with Westerns.
"The proposal is a step forward, but the Islamic Republic wants
to pursue a fair and equal talk with them, and there should not be
any preconditions," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by the state
television.
The United States has accused Iran of secretly developing
nuclear weapons under a civilian front, a charge categorically
denied by Tehran.
(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2006)
