Rohani Says Iran Seriously Determined to Resolve Nuclear Dispute
By Ladane Nasseri - Aug 6, 2013
Iranian President Hassan Rohani said his country is “seriously determined” to resolve the dispute over its nuclear program with Western powers without compromising its right to nuclear power for peaceful purposes.
“We are for negotiations,” Rohani said in his first news conference after taking office this month. “We are ready to enter without wasting time in negotiations that are substantive and serious.”
Rohani succeeds Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who took office in 2005. The Scottish-educated cleric was elected in June on pledges to improve Iran’s economy and world standing, and enters office as the country experiences its worst political and economic isolation in two decades. The economy is hampered by accelerating inflation and a weakened currency resulting from sanctions spearheaded by the U.S. in an effort to curb Iran’s nuclear program.
The U.S. and Israel accuse Iran of secretly seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge the Islamic republic denies.
“The Islamic establishment is seriously determined to resolve the nuclear issue while at the same time the rights of people are preserved and simultaneously the concerns of the other side will be considered,” Rohani said. “We hope the other side also possesses this determination.”
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-06/rohani-says-iran-seriously-determined-to-resolve-nuclear-dispute.html