BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 18. One-sided and
unilateral negotiations will not lead to results, spokesman for the
Iranian Foreign Ministry Esmaeil Baghaei said, Trend reports.
"I do not think anyone can dispute the proposition that
diplomacy is a good thing. However, one must look at behavior. The
party that has consistently adhered to diplomacy has been the
Islamic Republic of Iran. The claim of preferring diplomacy must be
proven in practice, not merely stated as part of public relations
or public diplomacy programs of countries.
Our positions on various matters have been stated repeatedly,
and in practice we have shown what the limits of negotiations are.
Negotiations are meaningful only when both sides adhere to their
outcomes and when, in any negotiation, all parties have both rights
and obligations. One-sided and unilateral negotiations will not
lead to results.
Regarding the nuclear issue, we have a framework. We cannot
create a framework from scratch. If we accept that the
Non-Proliferation Treaty exists, Article 4 of it recognizes the
right of countries to benefit from peaceful nuclear energy. We
cannot ignore this under various pretexts. Therefore, Iran’s
insistence on benefiting from peaceful nuclear energy is a right
that is recognized and enshrined in the Non-Proliferation
Treaty.
As for Iran’s defensive issues, I do not think any responsible
country - any country that values its citizens, its territorial
integrity, and the security of its people, and that believes the
most important duty of a government is to safeguard the country’s
security - would be willing to show flexibility regarding its
defensive capabilities," Baghaei said.
