BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 18. One-sided and unilateral negotiations will not lead to results, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Esmaeil Baghaei said, Trend reports.
"I do not think anyone can dispute the proposition that diplomacy is a good thing. However, one must look at behavior. The party that has consistently adhered to diplomacy has been the Islamic Republic of Iran. The claim of preferring diplomacy must be proven in practice, not merely stated as part of public relations or public diplomacy programs of countries.
Our positions on various matters have been stated repeatedly, and in practice we have shown what the limits of negotiations are. Negotiations are meaningful only when both sides adhere to their outcomes and when, in any negotiation, all parties have both rights and obligations. One-sided and unilateral negotiations will not lead to results.
Regarding the nuclear issue, we have a framework. We cannot create a framework from scratch. If we accept that the Non-Proliferation Treaty exists, Article 4 of it recognizes the right of countries to benefit from peaceful nuclear energy. We cannot ignore this under various pretexts. Therefore, Iran’s insistence on benefiting from peaceful nuclear energy is a right that is recognized and enshrined in the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
As for Iran’s defensive issues, I do not think any responsible country - any country that values its citizens, its territorial integrity, and the security of its people, and that believes the most important duty of a government is to safeguard the country’s security - would be willing to show flexibility regarding its defensive capabilities," Baghaei said.