Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




NUKEWARS
China mulls Iranian nuclear inspection invite
by Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) May 24, 2011


China said Tuesday it was considering an invitation to inspect Iran's nuclear facilities and urged Tehran to step up cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, who arrived in Bejing on Sunday, put forward the invitation in talks with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi, ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters.

"We will carefully study Iran's invitation for Chinese experts to visit its nuclear facilities," she said.

"We also encourage Iran to step up cooperation with the IAEA (the UN International Atomic Energy Agency)."

In January, Beijing turned down an earlier invitation by Tehran that was extended in an apparent effort to avoid further UN sanctions.

Western powers fear Iran is seeking to build a nuclear bomb. The oil-rich country denies that, insisting its nuclear programme is for peaceful energy purposes.

The European Union and the United States have slapped unilateral sanctions on Iran on top of four sets of punitive measures imposed by the UN Security Council.

Jiang also urged Tehran to return to negotiations on halting its uranium enrichment programme that include the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia.

"We are of the view that dialogue and negotiations are the correct channel to seek a comprehensive and proper settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue," Jiang said.

"We hope Iran and the six countries will have a new round of dialogue as soon as possible."

The UN sanctions and unilateral punitive measures have allowed Chinese companies to expand their presence in the Islamic republic.

China, one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, has emerged as Iran's largest trading partner with direct bilateral trade currently valued at $30 billion, up from $400 million 15 years ago.

Chinese purchases of Iranian oil account for much of the trade.

earlier related report
Iran rejects fresh EU sanctions as 'illogical'
Tehran (AFP) May 24, 2011 - Iran's foreign ministry on Tuesday rejected as "illogical" fresh sanctions adopted by the European Union against the Islamic republic over its contentious nuclear programme.

"The move (by the EU) to impose sanctions, which follows certain political objectives, is illogical," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said in his weekly news conference.

The EU on Monday tightened its sanctions on Iran, adding more than 100 firms to a blacklist of companies hit by an assets freeze amid efforts to jump start international talks to convince Tehran to halt its nuclear ambitions.

"It is better for the EU to safeguard the interests of its people rather than blindly following the policies of other countries," Mehmanparast said without elaborating.

The European Union and the United States have slapped unilateral sanctions on Iran on top of four sets of punitive measures imposed by the UN Security Council.

The US, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia have engaged in on-and-off talks with Iran over fears it is seeking to acquire a nuclear military capacity under the guise of its civilian atomic programme.

Tehran has repeatedly denied the charges, insisting it is merely trying to meet its people's energy needs.

In a new round of talks in Istanbul in January, Iran said sanctions should be lifted for the resumption of talks.

But after the talks failed, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton sent a letter to Tehran inviting Iranian officials to return to the negotiating table.

Iran responded this month that it is ready for new talks, adding the ball is in the court of the six.

But the response from chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili "sadly just reiterated the old positions of Iran," Ashton said Monday.

"We want them to move forward with the nuclear talks," she said.

In response, Mehmanparast reiterated on Tuesday that Iran was ready for a fresh round of talks.

"We have not received any direct indication that the process (of talks) has reached a deadend. We hope that talks will continue... we have announced our readiness to engage in negotiations based on mutual interest," he said.

.


Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








NUKEWARS
US senators introduce Iran sanctions bill
Washington (AFP) May 23, 2011
A nuclear-armed Iran would be a nightmare scenario marking the death knell of the Arab-Israeli peace process and global non-proliferation efforts, experts said Monday as US lawmakers sought tighter sanctions. As the European Union beefed up its own sanctions regime on Tehran, US Senator Mark Kirk and others unveiled a bill that would boost enforcement of existing sanctions, bring fresh press ... read more


NUKEWARS
Twin GRAIL Spacecraft to Launch Site by Lockheed Martin

A Wrinkly Old Reveal Clues To Its Past

MoonBots Challenges Teams to Conduct Lunar Missions with LEGO Robots

Earth's Nearest Neighbor Within Reach

NUKEWARS
Endeavour Crater Just Three Miles Away For Opportunity Mars Rover

Mars Rover Driving Leaves Distinctive Tracks

Opportunity Cracks The 18-Mile Mark

Mars Science Laboratory Aeroshell Delivered To Launch Site

NUKEWARS
Testing Spacesuits in Antarctica - Part 1

Which technologies get better faster

AIA Says US Human Spaceflight At Critical Juncture

NASA Denies Entry To Chinese Journalists For Shuttle Launch

NUKEWARS
Top Chinese scientists honored with naming of minor planets

China sees smooth preparation for launch of unmanned module

China to attempt first space rendezvous

Countdown begins for Chineses space station program

NUKEWARS
Expedition 27 Crew Undocks from Station

Astronauts to try spacewalk 'hokey pokey': NASA

ISS astronauts land safely in Kazakhstan: mission control

Pope makes first ever video call to astronauts in space

NUKEWARS
Russia sends two Soyuz carrier rockets to French Guiana

ILS Proton Successfully Launches Telstar 14R And Estrela do Sul 2 for Telesat

Satellites for Asia and India are orbited on Arianespace's third Ariane 5 mission of 2011

Taiwan, Singapore launch satellite

NUKEWARS
Kepler's Astounding Haul of Multiple-Planet Systems Just Keeps Growing

Bennett team discovers new class of extrasolar planets

Climate scientists reveal new candidate for first habitable exoplanet

Free-Floating Planets May be More Common Than Stars

NUKEWARS
Long-delayed Duke Nukem videogame hits in June

Microsoft unveils Windows Phone update 'Mango'

Better buildings for extreme climates will be focus of researcher talk

Foxconn polishing plants in China closed after blast




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement