TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) – MP Ahmad Tavakkoli says it is logical to keep the content of the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the six major powers confidential.
Iran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) held nuclear talks in Geneva on October 15 and 16. Afterwards, the two sides issued a joint statement describing the talks as “substantive and forward-looking”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is also the country’s chief nuclear negotiator, said the Iranian negotiating team’s decision to refrain from disclosing the details of the nuclear proposal they presented during the Geneva talks is a sign of its sincerity and seriousness.

“Wisdom entails that it should be so… (and) the confidentiality of negotiations is sensible,” Tavakkoli told reporters when asked about the rationale behind keeping the details of the negotiations secret.

He said it is unreasonable to make a commotion about diplomatic negotiations before they produce results.

“You and I should help this government, which the people have voted for, and (also) the ministers who received a vote of confidence from the Majlis, and let the administration air views about this issue (nuclear negotiations).”

He added, “We are all worried” about the negotiations, but withdrawing support for the administration would be a “wrong” move, and “we should trust (the government) and see what will happen.”

Tavakkoli also said he is optimistic about the talks.

Reports have surfaced that the negotiating partners asked Iran to sign the additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which allows unannounced inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“According to the Constitution, the decision on joining the protocol rests with the Majlis, and the Majlis will not accept this without gaining concessions, which is the right of the Iranian people.

“Basically, we are not worried about accepting the additional protocol, but on condition that we enjoy its benefits. In that case, the Majlis will make a proper decision,” Tavakkoli stated.

On Saturday, MP Mansour Haqiqatpour, the deputy chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said the Majlis would only study the implementation of the additional protocol after the West lifts all the sanctions imposed on Iran.

“Signing the additional protocol is a complicated issue. If we sign it, they may ask to inspect… the Parchin site, which is a military facility. So I think the Westerners should take the necessary confidence-building measures and lift all sanctions so that, after winning our full trust, we will study the protocol,” Haqiqatpour told the Mehr News Agency.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who led the Iranian delegation at the Geneva talks, recently said, “Neither of these issues [including signing the additional protocol] are within the first step [of the Iranian proposal], but form part of our last steps.”
By Mehr News Agency 


 

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