Arab states seek greater role in Iran’s nuclear talks: paper
December 15, 2009 - 0:0
TEHRAN — The Bahraini foreign minister has said that regional Arab states are seeking greater role in Iran’s nuclear talks with the West.
Arab countries should be involved in talks between the U.S. and Iran and participate in any talks concerning regional security, Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed bin Mohamed al-Khalifah told the London-based newspaper al-Hayat.Sheikh al-Khalifah also expressed support for Iran's right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, claiming that nuclear talks between Tehran and the West failed because the Persian Gulf Arab states and Turkey were not invited to the talks.
He described Western sanctions imposed against Iran as ‘unfair’.
Sanctions against Iran are unfair and unreasonable because they were basically wrong due to the absence of key regional players in nuclear talks, al-Khalifah pointed out, according to the newspaper.
Commenting on the contents of Iran’s message to the sixth Manama Dialogue, the Bahraini foreign minister said Iran has not changed its stance on the nuclear issue and will not relinquish its right to nuclear energy.
Iran’s participation at the Manama Dialogue - a regional security conference in Bahrain which ran from December 12 to 13 - was greatly helpful since the Arab states could express their views and concerns on various regional security matters, he told the paper