Interview with Hossein Mousavian

Financial Times:

This is an edited transcript of an interview with Hossein Mousavian, secretary of the foreign policy committee of the Supreme National Security Council in Iran. It was conducted in the SNSC office in Tehran on February 2 2005.

FT: Have there been any changes in the talks?

Hossein Mousavian: We do not have a final evaluation of whether Europeans will seriously deal with this issue or not. ...

We expect to see tangible results in March 2005 and finalise talks by June.

Since November, the quality and quantity of talks show that Europeans are not ready for such progress.

FT: Why do you think they maintain such a slow progress in the talks?

Hossein Mousavian: I don't know the reason. Maybe, they are seeking to prolong the talks. ...

FT: How is Iran going to give these objective guarantees that its nuclear programme would not be diverted into a weapons programme?

Hossein Mousavian: Iran's guarantee is its 25 years of nuclear activities. This is the best guarantee. During the past year and a half, there have been over 1,000 inspections in all nuclear installations, even those suspected of nuclear activities. There have been about 17 complementary access inspections. Even the doors of military centres have been opened to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The IAEA has officially announced that there has been no diversion in Iran's nuclear activities. This is a very objective and firm guarantee.

The second guarantee that Iran has given is its commitment to the NPT and a safeguards agreement.

The third guarantee has been signing and implementing the additional protocol. The fact that Iran accepted the protocol was merely for giving assurances to the world that its enrichment activities would remain peaceful. The protocol was accepted only for enrichment.

And fourth, there has been a transparent, full co-operation with the IAEA.

These are the maximum international means that exist for confidence-building in nuclear activities. And the best objective guarantee is commitment to these international conventions, while the best firm guarantee by Europeans would be indiscriminate implementation of all international conventions in the peaceful technology section.

This is the road map, meaning that everything should be based on a fair principle of completely abiding by international conventions by both parties. This means that Iranians should co-operate in the framework of such a convention, have transparent and comprehensive co-operation to assure the international community that the nature of nuclear activities would remain peaceful forever.

The best firm guarantee by Europeans is to co-operate at the highest level with no discrimination and no limitation in the framework of conventions. This is our interpretation of objective guarantees, no less no more. But, the objective guarantee is made in Europe. They have to tell us if they have any other interpretation from this subject.

FT: Have Europeans told you of a different interpretation?

Hossein Mousavian: Not yet. They have not actively and seriously entered into the subject of objective guarantees.

The second guarantee that Iran has given is its commitment to the NPT and a safeguards agreement.

The third guarantee has been signing and implementing the additional protocol. The fact that Iran accepted the protocol was merely for giving assurances to the world that its enrichment activities would remain peaceful. The protocol was accepted only for enrichment.

And fourth, there has been a transparent, full co-operation with the IAEA.

These are the maximum international means that exist for confidence-building in nuclear activities. And the best objective guarantee is commitment to these international conventions, while the best firm guarantee by Europeans would be indiscriminate implementation of all international conventions in the peaceful technology section.

This is the road map, meaning that everything should be based on a fair principle of completely abiding by international conventions by both parties. This means that Iranians should co-operate in the framework of such a convention, have transparent and comprehensive co-operation to assure the international community that the nature of nuclear activities would remain peaceful forever.

The best firm guarantee by Europeans is to co-operate at the highest level with no discrimination and no limitation in the framework of conventions. This is our interpretation of objective guarantees, no less no more. But, the objective guarantee is made in Europe. They have to tell us if they have any other interpretation from this subject.

FT: Have Europeans told you of a different interpretation?

Hossein Mousavian: Not yet. They have not actively and seriously entered into the subject of objective guarantees.

FT: What's the latest about Parchin [a military complex south of Tehran]? Has the IAEA asked for re-inspection?

Hossein Mousavian: We allowed the inspection within the additional protocol. Samples were taken and we are waiting for the result. So far, no request has been made to repeat the inspection. ...

FT: What's the latest about Parchin [a military complex south of Tehran]? Has the IAEA asked for re-inspection?

Hossein Mousavian: We allowed the inspection within the additional protocol. Samples were taken and we are waiting for the result. So far, no request has been made to repeat the inspection. ...