Asefi: Ahmadinejad Remarks Distorted

[Annie]

This from the Iran Daily

Annie


http://www.iransolidarity.endofempire.org/


Asefi: Ahmadinejad Remarks Distorted, US Firms Can Bid for Nuclear Plant

TEHRAN, Dec. 11--Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said on Sunday he was surprised by the international reactions to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s remarks at a summit of Muslim states in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Asefi told domestic and foreign reporters at his weekly briefing that some of the states and foreign circles had wrong impressions about the president’s comments at the Organization of Islamic Conference Summit, IRNA reported.

“President Ahmadinejad has said if Europeans feel they mistreated the Jews and want to make up for it, they should compensate them at their own expense. This is nothing new, but the Europeans are trying to distort the real meaning of his message,“ he said.

President Ahmadinejad had said in a press conference in Mecca last Thursday, “If the Europeans are honest they should give some pieces of land in Europe...to the Zionists, and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe.“

But the Western propaganda machine sought to present these remarks as a denial of Hitler’s genocide of Jews.

Stressing that people hold divergent views across the world, Asefi said, “I am surprised why Europeans cannot tolerate different outlooks. They should accept these messages and Israel does not have the right to play victim and take resort to warmongering under such a pretext.“

Confirming the resumption of Iran-EU nuclear talks on December 21, adding that it would be a very serious meeting and future developments depend on the upcoming talks. “The talks in Vienna will concentrate on Tehran’s rights, including its right to carry out uranium enrichment,“ he said.

“There would be no cause for concern, if Europe decides to be rational and acts on the basis of international norms, protocols and safeguards.“

Noting that Tehran expects Europe to take realities into consideration, the spokesman said, “We want nothing, except our legal rights.“

Asefi invited US firms to help build a new nuclear power plant in the southwestern province of Khuzestan.

“America can take part in international bidding for the construction of Iran’s nuclear power plant, if they observe the basic standards and quality,“ he said.

Iran plans to produce 2,000 megawatts of electricity by building nuclear power plants with foreign help.

Iran Daily