Iranian president accuses US of nuclear negotiations’ failure in 2004
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani believes that the United States must reconsider its attitude to negotiations over his country’s nuclear program. The topic of consultations between Iran and the international sextet (five permanent UN Security Council member-states and Germany) was on the agenda of Rouhani’s president with senior clergy in the city of Qom, the Russian news agency TASS reported.
"It is the Americans who should revise their erroneous approach to Iran’s nuclear program," the Press-TV broadcaster quotes Rouhani as saying.
In part, the Iranian president accused the United States of the negotiations’ failure in 2004, when in his opinion there was a chance to conclude a final agreement.
"Our relations with countries around the world, including China and other Asian states, have gained momentum," the Iranian news agency IRNA quotes Rouhani as saying. "Cooperation with the European countries has seen a tangible expansion. But we never forget that the nuclear problem is the key issue of our foreign policy. Its solution is expected to strip our potential adversaries of such a means of pressure as sanctions."
"We are urging the adversaries to lay down this weapon," Rouhani said. "Sanctions are unfair, underserved and cruel and also a violation of human rights. Negotiations are the best means of achieving that goal."
Rouhani believes it is quite obvious for the whole world that if the current negotiations end in failure, the blame for this should be placed on the western countries. The United States authorities have in fact recognized this and been trying to persuade Congress to take more sanctions against Iran, he said.