Iran-Austria-Rafsanjani
Chairman of Expediency Council (EC) Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in a meeting with Austrian ambassador to Tehran said Iran is ready to cooperate and continue talks with the European Union (EU) under the condition of mutual respect.

According to the report of EC's Public Relations Office, Rafsanjani said any pre-condition for talks is irrational and added Iran opposes any kind of hegemony and imposing such policies by westerners had caused loss to them.

Referring to the issue of energy, the EC chairman said, "Iran has never used its oil and gas as a political lever and has always committed to its obligations for supplying energy to the world and if the west imposes limitations on Iran's oil and gas industry, they will inflict loss on themselves first."
Ayatollah Rafsanjani stressed Iran's interest is in maintaining regional security by the countries of the region and added insecurity in Iraq and Afghanistan hurt Iran too and Iran wants the two aforementioned countries have tranquility.

The ayatollah said, "NATO in Afghanistan and Coalition Forces in Iraq have not been able in providing security and they accuse Iran in order to cover up their weakness."
Insecurity and crisis in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as increased drug production in Afghanistan are two issues which have caused problems for Iran and the region, Rafsanjani added.

"The US claim on Iran's intention to gain access to nuclear weapon is incorrect, because our faith never allows us to use nuclear bomb and we wish a world without any kind of nuclear weapon," Rafsanjani said.

Criticizing double standards of the west on the issues of terrorism and human rights, the ayatollah noted "In spite of repeated violation of the UN Security Council resolutions by the Zionist regime and in spite of 5 million Palestinian refugees and imposing discrimination and cruelty against Palestinians in occupied territory, the west is silent."
"On violation of human rights in Guantanamo by the USA, there has been no serious move by the US and the terrorist group of MKO (Mojahedin Khalq Organization), who had been officially recognized by the west as a terrorist organization are still under the US support," The EC chairman concluded, "Chemical weapons which were used by Iraqi forces during the imposed war against Iran and thousands of Iranian are still suffering from its consequences had been supplied by some European countries and this issue contradicts claims in the west.

Austrian Ambassador to Tehran Michael Nepsel, for his part, called negotiation the only way of confidence building and solution to the problems between Europe and Iran and noted that "Upon
International law Iran has the full right to use nuclear energy peacefully."
Referring to the effective role of Iran in the region, the ambassador said, "Solving Iraq and Afghanistan problems need Iran's assistance."
He also said expansion of economic cooperation between Iran and the EU is beneficial to both sides and could help solve some problems.

The Austrian ambassador added, "EU and Austria are interested in helping Iran concerning the issue of refugees and drugs."
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