BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

08/09/2006

Belarus voices support for Iran's peaceful nuclear program

Belarus foreign Minister Sergei Martynov said in Minsk on Thursday that his country supports Iran's peaceful nuclear program.

"Belarus thinks that Iran has every right on every kind of peaceful nuclear activity, in accordance with the non-proliferation regime. We have no grounds to doubt the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program," Martynov said in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki.

Mottaki assured his host that Iran's program was "exclusively peaceful and transparent," welcoming upcoming talks with the European Union on Iran's response to an offer on its nuclear program from the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany.

Mottaki had earlier meetings with Belarus president and parliament speaker.

In talks with Mottaki on Thursday, the Belarus legislator said, "All countries are entitled to nuclear energy and we believe any country can select and use any kind of energy, including wind, thermal and nuclear energy, it wishes to address its energy needs and development."

He said Minsk supports Iran at the international organizations and institutions.

Calling Tehran-Minsk stances vis-a-vis many issues "similar and very close," Mottaki called for bilateral ties in the cultural, education and tourism sectors.

Source:

http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0609089206114511.htm

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