Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic will continue to enrich uranium to 20 percent purity in order to power its nuclear research reactor.

Zarif was reacting to reports that the Islamic Republic has stopped 20-percent enrichment.

He added that Iran’s 20-percent enrichment will be under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The Iranian foreign minister also stated that Tehran will push ahead with nuclear talks with world powers “with good faith” and “with determination to reach understanding and with hope to reach an understanding at an early stage.”

Zarif’s remarks coincided with the second day of expert-level talks between Iran and six major world powers in the Austrian capital, Vienna.

Iran’s seven-member team of experts is led by Hamid Ba’eedinejad, the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s director general for political affairs.

Iran’s Foreign Minister also said the Islamic Republic attaches great significance to its relations with African countries, including South Africa.

“South Africa is one of the important countries in the African continent, one of the key players of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and an active and influential country on the international stage,” Zarif said.

He said that Iran welcomed the further enhancement of the ties with the African country, expressing hope that both countries’ private and state sectors would help boost mutual economic, trade and technical ties.

Zarif also expressed optimism that the 11th meeting of the Iran-South Africa Joint Cooperation Commission would result in closer relations between the two countries, especially closer industrial and trade cooperation between the private sectors of both sides.

 

News ID 185525