“A key aspect of entering a conversation based on mutual respect is recognizing the other side’s concerns as equal to one’s own,” Ali Akbar Salehi wrote in an article published in the opinions section of The Washington Post on Friday.
“In the upcoming talks, we hope that all sides will return to the negotiating table as equals with mutual respect; that all sides will be committed to comprehensive, long-term dialogue aimed at resolving all parties’ outstanding concerns; and, most importantly, that all sides make genuine efforts to reestablish confidence and trust,” he added.
The top Iranian diplomat urged all parties involved to adopt an honest approach towards the negotiations to help restore trust.
He said the example of Tehran Research Reactor clearly illustrated the key issue between Iran and the West, which is a lack of trust.
The Iranian minister said Tehran had put forward a request to the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2009 to be provided with fuel for the reactor which produces radiopharmaceuticals for cancer patients.
However, “When we agreed to exchange a major portion of our stock of low-enriched uranium for reactor fuel in 2010 - a proposal by the [US President Barack] Obama administration - the response we got from the White House was a push for more UN Security Council sanctions,” he said.
Salehi said another sign of mutual respect was the willingness to act based on “reciprocity” rather than adopting approaches that involve only taking instead of give-and-take.
The Iranian minister also reiterated that “dialogue must be seen as a process rather than an event”, adding that complex matters that have been left unaddressed for long cannot be solved overnight.
He also underlined Iran’s commitment to dialogue despite Tehran being faced with the Western sanctions and threats of war, urging the other side to follow suit.
Salehi’s remarks come ahead of the upcoming round of fresh multifaceted talks between Iran and the P5+1, scheduled for Saturday in the Turkish city of Istanbul.
Iran and the P5+1 comprising Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States plus Germany already held two rounds of multifaceted talks in Geneva in December 2010 and in Istanbul in January 2011.
Tehran has welcomed talks based on common ground, adding, however, that it has no intention of backing down on any of its inalienable rights.
press tv/281
The Iranian foreign minister has called on all sides involved in the Iran-P5+1 talks to enter the negotiations with the aim of re-establishing trust and settling each other’s concerns.
News ID 181697
