Iran advices U.S., Europe to change sanctions policy

"I would recommend the U.S. and Europe substitute their sanctions policy with a cooperation policy towards Iran," Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi told the Turkish TRT news channel in Addis Ababa, where he participated at the 18th African Union summit.

"Iran could become a solid partner for the EU," Salehi added. "When I was first appointed to the post of Foreign Minister, I made it crystal clear that Iran's foreign policy priority is the EU. And once again I state that Iran seeks better relations with Europe."

He added that if Turkey is accepted into the EU, Iran will become Europe's closest neighbour.

Speaking about Iran's nuclear programme, Salehi told Fars News that Iran plans to use its own capabilities to enrich uranium to 20 percent, after Brazil and Turkey, with which Iran has agreed to trade low-enriched uranium to high-enriched uranium, refused to execute the agreement terms.

"Despite that, the other side, namely Western countries, cannot imagine that Iran is able to achieve 20 percent uranium enrichment and make fuel plates out of it, in a few months they will see that we will place our own fuel assemblies at the Tehran research reactor," Fars reported quoting Salehi as saying.


/Trend/