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| Clinton snubs unacceptable: Iranian FM |
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 TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has said that the time has not come for Tehran to reestablish ties with Washington since the remarks that U.S. officials make are inconsistent. Salehi made the remarks during a joint press conference with Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Massoud Barzani in Tehran on Saturday in reply to a question about the remarks that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made on October 26, in which she said that the door remained open for talks with Tehran on its nuclear program. “We have heard lots of similar statements, but unfortunately the remarks that the Americans’ make are very inconsistent,” Salehi said. “As long as those remarks are not sincere, our negotiations with them will make no sense,” he stated. “During the years after the Islamic Revolution, we proved that we are an independent country and have suffered heavy losses to safeguard (our) causes,” Salehi said, adding, “That is why the Islamic Republic of Iran has become a powerful and respected country in the international arena.” “We are seeking to have relations with all countries in the world except the Zionist regime, which we do not regard as legitimate,” he stated. “(But) the establishment of relations makes sense only when both sides enter negotiations on an equal footing and without preconditions,” he added. Salehi also said, “It seems that the time has not yet come for the reestablishment of relations with the United States” since U.S. officials are still using the logic of power. “We hope that the day will come when wisdom and logic will prevail in U.S. foreign policy. If they take measures based on logic and wisdom, many issues in the world will be resolved,” he stated. PJAK issue handled well On the security of the Iran-Iraq border, Salehi said, “Thank God, the Iran-Iraq border is secure, and through the will of God, this situation will continue.” KRG officials have promised that they will make the Iran-Iraq border one of the most secure borders, he added. Salehi also replied to a question about the negotiations that Iranian and KRG officials recently held to find ways to counter attacks that the terrorist group PJAK (the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan) carries out against Iran. The PJAK group was established in 2003, and its camps and bases are mostly located in Iraq, near the border with Iran. “We were able to efficiently handle the PJAK issue with the management and mediation of Mr. Barzani,” Salehi said. Barzani said, “Based on an agreement between Iran and the Iraqi Kurdistan region, the measures necessary to beef up the security of the border have been taken.” “We are making efforts to resolve the issue of the PKK (Workers’ Party of Kurdistan) just as we settled the issue of PJAK,” he added. On relations between Tehran and the Iraqi Kurdistan region, Salehi said, “The value of trade between the two sides is currently over $3 billion.” Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian foreign minister congratulated the Tunisian nation on the election that was held in the country on October 23.
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| Last Updated on 29 October 2011 18:06 |