President's interview with NBC network

President's interview with NBC network
http://www.president.ir/en/71392
news id: 71392 - Friday 20 September 2013 - 20:30
President Hassan Rouhani says the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear energy program can be easily settled if the world powers involved in nuclear negotiations with the Islamic Republic have “political resolve.”

President Rouhani made the remark in an exclusive interview with the American TV channel, NBC, on Wednesday.

President pointed to Iran’s negotiations with the permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany and his own experience as Iran’s nuclear negotiator from October 2003 to August 2005.

“I have enough experience in foreign negotiations, including nuclear talks, and based on that experience, I am saying that we merely want one thing from the other side, namely the P5+1, and that is political resolve. If there is political resolve, the issue can be settled very easily,” Dr. Rouhani said.

“We only want our activities, our nuclear activities, to be peaceful and we have accepted international supervision over our activities,” he pointed out.

President said Iran is asking for peace, stability and the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction.

Dr.Rouhani rejected the US and Israel’s baseless allegations that Iran is pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program, saying, “We are against nuclear bombs, because our religion and our morality tell us that weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear arms, are inhumane and dangerous for humanity.”

“We have never pursued and will never pursue nuclear weapons. We solely seek peaceful nuclear technologies and, therefore in this respect, we want the entire world to know that nuclear weapons do not and will not have any place in our doctrine,” president noted.

“In its nuclear program, this government enters with full power and has sufficient political latitude to solve this problem.

"From my point of view, the tone of the letter was positive and constructive," Dr.Rouhani said of the note he got from the White House congratulating him on his June election, in which he defeated five hard-liners.

"It could be subtle and tiny steps for a very important future. I believe the leaders in all countries could think in their national interest and they should not be under the influence of pressure groups. I hope to witness such an atmosphere in the future."

“We are not the government of Syria,” he told Curry when asked about the chemical weapons handover. “We are one of the countries of this region which is asking for peace and stability and the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction in the entire region. “

Asked whether he thought Obama looked weak when he backed off the air-strike threat, Dr. Rouhani replied, “We consider war a weakness. Any government or administration that decides to wage a war, we consider a weakness. And any government that decides on peace, we look on it with respect to peace.”