Word: larijani
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...With a showdown looming in the United Nations Security Council next week over Iran's nuclear program, Iranian chief negotiator Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, tells TIME that while Iran has no intention of obtaining nuclear weapons, the country won't suspend its research program as a bargaining step in negotiations with other countries over its nuclear program and that the threat of sanctions will have no influence. In this interview conducted in his Tehran office before Sunday's announcement of an Iranian-Russian agreement on a Russian proposal to establish a joint uranium enrichment...
This is part 1 of TIME's interview with Iran?s Ali Larijani. Return to Time.com tomorrow for part 2 of the interview where Ali Larijani, Iran's foreign policy chief and top nuclear negotiator, says Iran will consider talks with the U.S. to address concerns that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons, but only if "Mr. Bush does not harangue us" and warns that Iran's retaliation "will not be a very pleasant one? if attacked by Israel...
...Larijani: There's no place for nuclear weapons in our national security doctrine. I don't think that nuclear weapons count as a power. The root of regional power is not from the bomb. For example Pakistan: it didn't have nuclear weapons before, now it does. How much did its influence in the region change? Therefore, from a point of view of realities, there's no reason for us to pay the cost and go after it. You may not believe what I'm about to say but I have to say it anyway. When our religious leader tells...
...Larijani: We really have to see the Russian proposal within a package. Other things can be added to it. What is really important is that we all work to solve this problem. We accept NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty] to be an international covenant. We are a country that is accountable. We accept supervisions and inspections by the [International Atomic Energy] Agency. If there are some questions, we are prepared to answer those questions...
...Larijani: We are flexible, but if we stop the research, what will that solve? Mr. Bush had said that Iran is after the nuclear bomb. If we stop research, will that alleviate his concern? If they think that we are going to surrender by threats of being referred to the Security Council, they are making a mistake. The nuclear issue has become a national desire-that is, the peaceful nuclear technology...