Iran 'strives' for nuke-free world

[Guest guest]

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123794

Iran 'strives' for nuke-free world

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:49:21 GMT

The Tehran conference, dubbed " Nuclear Energy for All, Nuclear Weapons for

None, " opened on Saturday with the main aim of promoting global disarmament and

non-proliferation.

The following is a transcript of a Press TV interview with Iranian Foreign

Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast after the conference closed on Sunday:

Press TV: Can the 12 points raised by the Iranian foreign minister, Manouchehr

Mottaki, at the end of the two-day conference really make a difference?

Mehmanparast: As you might know, the Tehran nuclear disarmament conference took

the first steps toward creating a will in the international community to deal

with the problem that we are facing today. We hope that the coverage of the

issues that were discussed in the two-day conference will raise public awareness

worldwide about two issues.

While the gathering was underway different matters were discussed within several

panels, one of which was how one's access to nuclear know-how for economic

purposes and economic development of their countries has been limited. We need

to formulate a strategy to reverse that trend and make it possible for all

countries to enjoy the benefits of the technology.

Alongside that, there was another issue that has turned into a predicament and

that is the existence of nuclear weapon arsenals that threaten world security.

None of the countries that possess these weapons have upheld article six of the

[Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty] NPT, even after forty years since the treaty

was signed.

Press TV: You are obviously referring to the United States and Russia, they have

just signed a new START treaty; there is the Washington summit, there has been

the new Nuclear Posture Review, despite all these, why was there so much

criticism of the United States at the conference?

Mehmanparast: The fact that the United States and Russia signed an agreement to

reduce their nuclear arms is a good thing. It is a positive step. But there are

certain doubts in the minds of people. If they are really serious at this level,

why should they have almost 10,000 nuclear warheads each targeted at certain

positions? What guarantees are there that they will actually carry out these

reductions? What mechanism is there to test the authenticity of the treaty?

At the Washington Nuclear Security Summit, concerns about terrorist groups

acquiring such weapons were raised. This is the concern of all countries. We are

also worried. We believe that everybody should be worried about this. But, the

question is what strategy are we going to use? It is better if everyone disarms.

If everyone is serious about scrapping these weapons and not using them then

there will be no weapons for anyone to access.

Holding nuclear weapons also creates another threat. If terrorist groups obtain

these weapons for the massacre of innocent civilians, they will definitely make

use of them and then, what difference is there between the government of the

United States of America and the illegitimate Zionist regime and some other

powers that have these weapons and have announced that they are willing to use

them against nations.

Apart from the outcome of the terrorist groups' activities or countries that

threaten to use these weapons, is there any difference between these countries

and those terrorist groups? The largest concern of the international community

is that some countries seek to keep these weapons.

Press TV: You are talking about trust and mistrust . The West, the United States

and also France have said that they are not going to get rid of their nuclear

weapons because they need them as a deterrent. They say that is the exact reason

they need nuclear weapons against countries like Iran and the threats that they

pose. So because of the threat that Iran poses they can't afford to get rid of

nuclear weapons.

Mehmanparast: Nuclear weapons can never bring security for any country. If they

had, they would have prevented the collapse of the former Soviet Union. There is

no use for nuclear weapons. If you want to use such weapons for the destruction

of the whole world, other countries will do the same. These countries bring up

accusations against countries such as Iran to justify their possession of

nuclear weapons. Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful and under the

supervision of the IAEA and its inspectors.

Press TV: It has been discussed a lot in the last two days that Israel has not

declared its nuclear arsenal. It is widely believed that it has the only arsenal

in the Middle East. Iran and Egypt over 30 years ago expressed the idea of the

region without nuclear weapons after the Islamic Revolution. The Israeli issue

is still very dominant. How did Iran address this in the conference in getting a

practical solution, given the obvious constraints?

Mehmanparast: If all of the countries seriously take measures toward the

disarmament and if we go after this big target to see a world free of weapons of

mass destruction, all areas in the world, including the strategic region of

Middle East will be on the agenda.

We really believe a Middle East without nuclear weapons can bring about peace

and stability and the measure by some Western countries to keep and arm the

Israeli regime with these [nuclear weapons] is really threatening and will bring

chaos and instability in the region. We recommend all Islamic countries, the OIC

and all independent countries and the members of the Non-Aligned Movement [NAM]

start a major move.

Press TV: We have the NAM, with over a hundred members and they have for years

backed Iran's nuclear program, the political weight doesn't equal the P5+1. It's

a reality. Can conferences like this, which bring Islamic countries together,

make any step forward?

Mehmanparast: We think western countries specially these few superior states, in

terms of technical know-how, and the P5+1 think if they make a move they have

imposed as the will of the international community. But the Non-Aligned

Movements itself includes 118 countries; there are also 57 countries in the

Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). The international community calls for

all countries' access to peaceful nuclear energy and strongly opposes the use of

nuclear weapons for any purposes. We need to tell this to the P5+1 and countries

that feel they can justify the possession of nuclear weapons. They need to

understand that the will of the international community is disarmament in real

terms. They need to come to terms with this if they want peace and security in

the world. The use of nuclear weapons is a violation of human rights and the UN

Charter. We all should strive for a world free of nuclear weapons.