Iran says new sanctions can affect talks

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has reiterated Tehran’s readiness to continue the talks and cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“Once again, we announced our readiness to continue negotiations and collaboration with the agency,” Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters Tuesday, April 24, when commenting on Iran’s latest communication with the agency, Press TV reports.

“We have always been ready to have closer cooperation with the agency and have proved this in practice as we have had the most [extensive] collaboration with the body,” he said.

The official expressed hope that “Iran would fully enjoy the right to peaceful nuclear energy in return for the country’s commitment to its international obligations.”

Mehmanparast also said Tehran has a positive approach to the upcoming round of talks with the P5+1 - the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany - in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on May 23, and expressed optimism that the next round of the negotiations will be fruitful and guarantee the rights of the Iranian nation.

He further argued that any sanction by the West could seriously affect the atmosphere of the upcoming talks, and noted, “We consider any sanction measure as a wrong and negative step; however, we regard a removal of the illegal and unreasonable embargoes as the right approach for rectifying the previous mistakes.”

Iran and the P5+1 wrapped up their latest negotiations in the Turkish city of Istanbul on April 14, hailing the talks as “constructive.”