TEHRAN - Iran rejects all forms of scientific and nuclear apartheid by any world power, said Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in Yerevan Tuesday during a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Vartan Oskanian.

According to the Foreign Ministry's Information and Press Bureau, Mottaki said that the continuing practice of apartheid by some countries was "an immoral and discriminatory treatment of signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)." The Iranian minister is currently in Armenia on a one-day visit to discuss latest bilateral and regional developments with senior Armenian officials. Noting the Iranian nation's "unanimous demand" for development of peaceful nuclear technology within the borders of the country, Mottaki said that the participation of millions of Iranians in the February 11 rallies marking the 27th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran was proof of this clear mandate by the people for the country to pursue peaceful nuclear technology. The Iranian government, stressed the minister, cannot escape its duty of heeding the national will. Oskanian, for his part, affirmed Tehran's undeniable right to develop peaceful nuclear technology and sressed diplomacy as the only possible way of resolving the current nuclear standoff. As for Tehran-Yerevan cooperation, the Armenian minister urged finalization of some transportation projects previously agreed upon by the two sides. He also briefed Mottaki on latest developments in Karabakh. PIN/IRNA
کد خبر 79580