French FM: Iran entitled to using peaceful nuclear energy

Paris respects Iran’s right for peaceful use of nuclear energy, France's Foreign Minister, Alain Juppe, said in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister, Ali-Akbar Salehi, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session. France is ready for direct talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran, the official added. Stressing the importance of talks between Paris and Tehran, French foreign minister stated that France respects Iran’s independence. Pointing to Iran's desire for development of relations with every country based on principle of respect to bilateral interests and sovereignty, Iran's Foreign Minister emphasized that Iran has the potential to work in the common grounds of cooperation to help the establishment of peace in Afghanistan, fighting drug trafficking, terrorism and extremism. Refusing the double-standard approach of the West towards the human rights issues and the use of peaceful nuclear energy by the NPT signatories, Salehi emphasized that any cooperation in any field should be in line with all sides' interests. Washington and its Western allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, while they have never presented any corroborative evidence to substantiate their allegations. Iran denies the charges and insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Tehran stresses that the country has always pursued a civilian path to provide power to the growing number of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry. Despite the rules enshrined in the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) entitling every member state, including Iran, to the right of uranium enrichment, Tehran is now under four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions for turning down West's calls to give up its right of uranium enrichment. Tehran has dismissed the West's demands as politically tainted and illogical, stressing those sanctions and pressures merely consolidate Iranians’ national resolve to continue the path.