The P5+1 Package Does Not Meet Iranian Expectations

30 June 2012 | 04:33 Code : 1903493 From Other Media
ISNA's interview with Dr. Ardeshir Sanaei, a university professor
The P5+1 Package Does Not Meet Iranian Expectations
 Dr. Ardeshir Sanaei said, "It seems that both sides have reached the conclusion that on one hand, the continuation of talks will not be very fruitful, and on the other hand, completely closing the door on negotiations is not logical and correct either. Therefore, the two sides have agreed on expert meetings and they have reached a middle ground, where negotiations have not yet met defeat, but haven't had substantial success either.

 

He added, "Both sides agreed that it is better for negotiations to continue, even if only at the expert level, so that some hope still remains. However, the two sides must be determined to solve these issues peacefully and officially recognize their counterpart's rights, not instead looking to take full advantage for themselves or to take advantages away from the other side."

 

While stating that negotiations should not be stopped by either side, Sanaei said, "If both sides focus on this issue and try to align their opinions to a certain extent, we can hope for negotiations to continue, even if there are longer gaps between the meetings. However, we must consider that if the expert meetings go forth in the same way previous negotiations have, there is still no hope for both sides to achieve what they want."

 

In talking about sanctions imposed by the West on Iran during the negotiations process, this international affairs analyst remarked, "The policy of threats and encouragements has always been a part of the West's diplomatic tactics. Our counterparts have followed this policy in certain cases, but they must also accept at least some part of the Islamic Republic of Iran's wishes. They have, however, delicately overlooked this issue and they have given no guarantees or commitments in this regard. On the other hand, their offers of encouragement have usually not been at the level of Iran's requests either."

 

He further emphasized, "If the West wants to encourage Iran, their offers should be commensurate with Iran's power, and any advantages should be aligned with our national interests. In any case, both sides must accept the fact that these negotiations are very complicated and are sometimes mixed with issues such as national pride, so we cannot expect these problems to be solved in a short period of time."

 

Sanaei went on to say, "The two sides must be determined to try to satisfy some of the national interests of both sides with a win-win policy. Otherwise, these issues will be impossible to solve. However, we should consider the fact that negotiations are currently moving forward in such a way that the two sides are only stating their positions, and this is not an advantageous path."