nuclear-news

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon’s discussions with Iran’s leaders

Ban also told the Iranian leaders that Iran needed to take concrete steps to address the concerns of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and prove to the world that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

UN chief discusses nuclear issue, Syria, human rights with Iran UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) English News, 30 Aug 12,  — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Wednesday held talks with Iranian leaders on such issues as nuclear standoff, Syria and human rights ahead of a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Iran’s capital Tehran, Ban’s spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters here….
“The secretary-general had an extensive encounter with President
Ahmadinejad, and that was followed by his meeting with the supreme
leader,” the spokesman said.

“In all these meetings, the secretary-general has conveyed the clear
concerns and expectations of the international community on the issues
for which cooperation and progress are urgent for both regional
stability and the welfare of the Iranian people,” he said, adding
these issues included Iran’s nuclear program, terrorism, human rights
and the crisis in Syria.

Ban announced a week ago his decision to attend the NAM summit, slated
for Aug. 30-31 in Tehran, despite strong opposition from the United
States and its close ally Israel.

Both the American and the Israeli regimes had urged the UN
secretary-general to refrain from attending the NAM summit and had
even termed Ban’s possible trip to Tehran a “big mistake.”

More than 100 members of the NAM have indicated their willingness to
take part in the upcoming NAM summit.

“On the nuclear question, the SG (secretary-general) said he has been
following closely with Iran’s talks with the P5+1,” Nesirky said. “He
said he regretted that little tangible progress has been achieved so
far during those intensive talks and that the talks needed to be
serious and substantive.”…..
Ban also told the Iranian leaders that Iran needed to take concrete steps to address the concerns of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and prove to the world that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

“He said there is no alternative, just diplomatic and negotiated
settlement step by step based on reciprocity,” Nesirky said. “Let me
say the SG has made the same point on the nuclear question to the
supreme leader.”

The United States and its Western allies have long accused Iran of
secretly developing nuclear weapons, but Tehran insists that its
nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The five permanent
members of the UN Security Council (P5), Britain, China, France,
Russia and the United States, plus Germany have held many rounds of
negotiations with Iran on the issue, with no substantial progress
achieved so far.

The Vienna-based IAEA has announced the establishment of an Iran Task
Force, a separate team of nuclear experts, to inspect and investigate
Iran’s nuclear program, reports said on Wednesday……
On the human rights, the secretary-general told the Iranian leaders
that “the situation of human rights in Iran remains a source of
concern.”

Talking to reporters at a joint press conference with the Iranian
parliament speaker in Tehran, the secretary-general said that Iran can
play an important role in the peaceful settlement of the Syrian
crisis, which broke out in March last year. Ban also hoped to see an
Iranian role in the political settlement to the 18- month Syrian
crisis, but his intention was blocked by Washington and its allies.

“We have discussed how (the) United Nations can work together with
Iran to improve the human rights situation in Iran,” Ban said at the
joint press conference in Tehran. “We have our serious concerns on the
human rights abuses and violations in this country. ”
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-08/30/c_123647452_2.htm

August 30, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, politics international