PERSPECTIVE OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH SOLANA VERY POSITIVE – MOTTAKI

Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
July 20 2007

Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki reiterated here Friday
negotiations with EU Foreign Policy Chief vier Solana have had a very
positive perspective.

According to IRNA’s dispatched reporter to Yerevan, Mottaki in his
Friday talks with Armenian Republic Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan,
also referred to recent rounds of talks between Iran and the UN nuclear
watchdog, IAEA, evaluating them, too, as "Very constructive" in line
with Iran’s trust building efforts regarding its nuclear program.

He reiterated, "Both Iran-IAEA talks, and Larijani-Solana negotiations
are signs for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s resolute will to
materialize the demand of the Iranian nation for full access to
nuclear technology for peaceful purposes."

The Minister of Foreign Affairs meanwhile referring to the prevailing
security status in Iraq, said, "The inappropriate US approaches adopted
in Iraq has complicated the conditions in that country and it is the
Iraqi people that are paying the high price for that in the course
of the daily tragic events there."

Mottaki said the solution to the problem would be in seeking the
roots of the problems there and to leave the affairs up to the elected
Iraqi Government.

Referring to the achievements of the Iran-Armenia Joint Economic
Commission, he said, "The appropriate achievements of the two
countries must be tangible for both nations, and that objective can
be materialized relying on implementation of projects over which we
have agreed."

The Iranian Foreign Minister elaborating on new agreements reached
between Iran and Armenian, said, "We have reached fruitful agreements
on construction of a refinery, railroads, and a car manufacturing
factory."

Pointing out that the volume of Iran’s business with world countries
is over one billion US dollars annually currently, he said, "The volume
of Iran’s trade transactions with friendly nations would begin from one
billion US dollars, and that amount is moving towards multiplication."

Mottaki meanwhile referred to the new grounds for Tehran-Yerevan
cooperation, saying, "Other appropriate fields for bilateral
cooperation include banking affairs, facilitating for broader
cooperation between merchants and industrialists, taking advantage
of Anzali Port facilities, and activation of exports and transit
facilities."