Iran to rethink IAEA cooperation, but not abandon the NPT

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Source: CCTV.com | 01-10-2007 09:11

Iran's leaders say the country has no intention of quitting an international treaty aimed at stopping the spread of atomic weapons.

But they've warned that Tehran may limit cooperation, if the UN's Nuclear Watchdog continues to put pressure on the country's nuclear programme.

Ali Larijani, Iran's top nuclear negotiator, said, "We do not insist on quitting the Non-Proliferation Treaty. But there are other ways to revise our cooperation level. We may alter our level of cooperation with the IAEA if it continues to pressure us over our nuclear program, but we will not abandon the NPT."

Larijani also repeated Iran's call for talks to resolve the country's nuclear dispute with the West. This, despite the Iranian parliament passing a bill last month that saw the government rethink cooperation with the IAEA, and accelerate its nuclear work.

The bill gave a free hand to the government to decide whether or not it wanted to pull out of the NPT under pressure.

Editor:Du Xiaodan