EC chairman terms Geneva talks as historical turning point

IRNA – Chairman of Iran’s Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said on Saturday that ongoing Geneva talks between Iran and six major world powers on Iran’s nuclear program is a turning point in the history of Iran, the region and the entire world.
The negotiations, if being pursued positively, will be a big work and ensure the security of energy in the international arena as well as peace and security in the region, the EC chief said.

Ayatollah Rafsanjani termed Western sanctions on Iran as tyrannical and said that a fair solution to the current situation could guarantee the peaceful use of nuclear technology for the whole world.

Referring to recent remarks by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on nuclear negotiations, Ayatollah Rafsanjani said that the Supreme Leader’s support for the Iranian negotiating team in the run-up to Geneva talks made it clear to the world that the team has the mandate from the Supreme Leader and the Iranian nation and officials to settle the issue.

When the other side saw that the Iranian side is serious in talks, they became serious too and dispatched their foreign ministers to Geneva, he said, citing 5 hour-long trilateral talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif, US Secretary of State John Kerry and EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine Ashton on Friday night.

He hailed Iran’s plan presented to G5+1 as comprehensive and wise, which showed that Iran is not after nuclear weapons, rather wants its and the international community’s right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes to be recognized.

He reiterated that the comprehensiveness of Iran’s plan has angered the Zionist regime and certain extremists in the United States.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Iran gained whatever it wanted from Geneva talks, while the West gained nothing.

The Israeli regime has become isolated and its anger is because of its weakness in the face of the resolve of the Iranian nation and government, Ayatollah Rafsanjani said, adding, if G5+1 member states are honest, they should not be influenced by extremists.

He called for further national solidarity and avoiding dividing remarks within the country in this critical juncture.