President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad meets entrepreneurs from private sector as well as economic experts in Tehran on Monday.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran could become the top economy in a short time by relying on its national will and potentials.
Addressing a meeting of entrepreneurs from private sector as well as economic officials on Sunday, the president said negativism has had no impact on the strong will of the Iranian nation to achieve economic progress, IRNA reported.
“The words ’we cannot’ and ’it is not possible’ are meaningless in the face of the strong will of the Iranian nation. We can quickly rank first in the world economy,“ he said.
Ahmadinejad briefed the meeting on a plan to pay direct subsidies to the people.
“The plan is based on seven key points“ which would guarantee the removal of problems impeding the country’s economic development, he said.
He noted that his government is committed to remove “heavy bureaucratic procedures“ from the production sector, stressing that the success of any plan requires collective support and cooperation of the nation.
Referring to public support for the government’s economic, political and cultural plans, Ahmadinejad said no measure would be successful without people’s cooperation.
“Domestic and external pressures could not block the march of the government and nation toward progress,“ he said.

Alaeddin Boroujerdi

The presence of a senior US diplomat in the recent nuclear talks in Geneva is a success for Iran, said a lawmaker on Monday.
“The US has used all levers of pressure to force the European Union to impose further sanctions on Iran, but failed to achieve any success,“ Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the head of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, also told IRNA.
Iran’s top nuclear negotiator and Supreme National Security Council’s secretary, Saeed Jalili, and the EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana held their latest round of talks for resolving the nuclear issue in Geneva on Saturday.
Solana was accompanied in talks by representatives from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council--China, Russia, France, Britain and the US--plus Germany. Present at the talks for the first time was senior US State Department official, William J. Burns.
Boroujerdi noted that decisions made at the Geneva meeting were “a step forward“ and added that the two sides agreed to hold another session in the near future.
Both Jalili and Solana have hailed their talks as ’constructive’.
“The two sides should work on the common points of their proposals as well as the points they differ on,“ Boroujerdi said.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accused Iran on Monday of using stalling tactics and warned Tehran it faced more punitive measures if it flouted a two-week deadline to curb its nuclear program.
Rice said Iran must give a “serious answer“ within the deadline laid down by the six world powers to an offer of trade and technical incentives to halt uranium enrichment, Reuters reported.
The US claims contradicted the positive remarks of Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, and EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, describing Saturday’s Geneva talks as constructive.
“We are in the strongest possible position to demonstrate that if Iran does not act, then it is time to go back to that (sanctions) track,“ Rice said in her first comments after Washington broke from its usual policy and joined nuclear talks with Iran in Geneva on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters on her way to Abu Dhabi en route to Asia, Rice said the United States would impose more bilateral sanctions on Iran and the Europeans would look at what they could do if Iran failed to meet the world powers’ demand.
“The main thing is we will have to start considering what we do in New York,“ she said, referring to the Security Council’s imposition of three rounds of sanctions on Iran.
Envoys from the United States, Russia, China, France, Germany and Britain attended the Geneva meeting.
Prospects of ending the row looked dim as Iran’s top nuclear negotiator said Iran would not discuss a demand to freeze nuclear work.
But Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave an upbeat assessment on Sunday by saying, “Any negotiation that takes place is a step forward.“
“Yesterday’s negotiation is one of those forward-moving negotiations,“ Ahmadinejad told reporters, according to IRNA.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown warned Iran on Monday it faced growing isolation if it rejected an offer from major powers on its nuclear issue.

Iran should hold official negotiations with the six major powers in a way that produces results, said an Iranian expert on international affairs.
Ali Khorram added that he believes the US approach has not changed.
“It has only changed the way of pursuing its former diplomacy,“ he said.
He observed that first, the US declared that it would not negotiate with Iran directly, and then it placed the precondition of suspending uranium enrichment.
“Since the earlier US policies have failed, it is trying to pursue the precondition of suspension in a more flexible manner,“ he said.
Highlighting that no official talks have been held yet between Iran and the six powers, namely the five UN Security Council veto powers plus Germany, Khorram said the country should decide on the basis of its national security and interests in upcoming negotiations.
“For years, the Islamic Republic of Iran welcomed direct negotiations with any country about its nuclear program. Given the presentation of two packages of proposals, conditions are favorable for holding official negotiations,“ he said, noting that the two sides stressed the commonalities in the two packages.
The expert stressed that as a pre-negotiation meeting for the upcoming talks, the Geneva meeting was an opportunity for exchanging ideas and clarifying their policies.
Khorram pointed out that Iran wants to know whether the European countries recognize its nuclear activities and uranium enrichment program.
“Iranian officials should not be very optimistic about future negotiations with the EU,“ he said.

Mehdi Hashemi

An Iranian delegation headed by the Interior Ministry caretaker, Mehdi Hashemi, arrived in Islamabad on Monday for discussing bilateral and regional developments with Pakistani officials.
Hashemi is expected to hold separate meetings with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and his Pakistani counterpart A. Rehman Malik, IRNA reported.
Security and drug control officials are in the Iranian delegation.
Hashemi had earlier announced in Tehran that he would visit follow up the case of 16 Iranian policemen abducted by the Jundollah terrorist group on June 12 at a checkpoint in the southeastern Iranian city of Saravan in Sistan-Baluchestan province. The hostages were later taken across the border to neighboring Pakistan.
The group has claimed that it has so far killed four hostages, but the Iranian officials have not confirmed it.
Jundollah, which is widely known to be supported, armed and funded by the US intelligence agencies, has committed numerous acts of terrorism in southeastern Iran, resulting in the death and injury of many civilians. It is also known to be closely linked with international drug smuggling gangs in the region.
Iranian officials say no negotiation will be undertaken for the freedom of 16 police officers.
On Sunday, Intelligence Minister Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei ruled out rumors that Iranian nationals taken captive by the Iranian terrorist group to Pakistan are dead.
“God willing, all the hostages are safe. Reports of their martyrdom are not confirmed,“ Ejei told reporters in Tehran.

Pesident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (r) receives a message of Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir from his special envoy, Ghazi Salahudin in Tehran on Monday.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denounced the recent move of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in charging the Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir with crimes against humanity.
He made the above remark in a meeting with Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir’s special envoy, Ghazi Salahudin, who submitted President Al-Bashir’s message to him on Monday, Mehr News Agency reported.
The president attributed the ICC move to the resistance of Sudanese people and their determination to uphold their national interests and territorial integrity.
“The arrogant powers want to disintegrate Sudan, because they do not want Sudan to play a pivotal role in Africa and the Muslim World,“ he said.
Ahmadinejad pointed out that those who denounced the Sudanese president are the same ones who remained silent over the crimes of executed Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, and the bombardment of a wedding ceremony in Afghanistan.
“The political systems established after the World War II were all colonial powers and they behaved in an unfair manner,“ he said.
Salahuddin, for his part, reported on the latest regional developments and noted that he has had constructive talks with high-ranking Iranian officials, expressing support for Iran’s peaceful nuclear technology.

Deviation
In another meeting with the Sudanese envoy on Monday, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the structures of international system are under the influence of big powers, which have deviated from their main path and do not serve the interests of the world nations.
Referring to the significant role of international bodies like OIC, NAM, Arab League, UN General Assembly and other Islamic and regional groupings, he said members of these groups and organizations constitute a majority of the world’s population and they should cooperate to prevent the West’s unilateral approach.
Mottaki also termed the two sides’ relations as satisfactory and said Sudan has a remarkable global status.
Denouncing the recent measure taken by ICC in dealing with the Sudanese president, he said the court’s unjust act indicates the West’s enmity with the Sudanese nation and those who issued the verdict should be accountable to the world public opinion because such biased moves create insecurity in the international system.
Salahudin referred to ICC as “a European club“ which is rejected by many countries.
“The recent measure of the court is very dangerous because it can promote insecurity in the international community,“ he said.
On Iran’s nuclear activities, the Sudanese envoy said it is among Iran’s legitimate rights to benefit from nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, adding that Sudan is opposed to scientific apartheid.

Top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, said early Monday his talks in Geneva, Switzerland, with the Group 5+1 were constructive and progressive.
He made the remark at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport upon his arrival from Istanbul, Turkey, where he had a stopover on his way back home from Switzerland, IRNA reported.
On Saturday, Jalili, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, attended a meeting with the European Union foreign policy chief, Javier Solana who represented the Group 5+1 (the five UN Security Council veto powers plus Germany), about Iran’s nuclear issue.
US Undersecretary of State William Burns was also present in the meeting.
“No word was mentioned about suspension. What happened in Geneva was discussions about the two sides’ approaches to the nuclear talks and their timing,“ Jalili told reporters who asked if the issue of suspending Iran’s nuclear activities was raised during the talks.
Commenting on a reportedly two-week deadline for Iran, Jalili said, “Based on a preliminary agreement, they presented an offer for the resumption of nuclear talks and we also had an initiative to this end. The two sides are expected to consider the issue for two weeks and comment about it.“
Jalili added that “good discussions“ were held about how to proceed with the nuclear talks.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said prior to the Geneva talks that Iran has offered to draw up a modality plan to resolve the dispute about Iranian nuclear program.
Jalili told the meeting in Geneva that Iran prefers the “six plus one“ action plan rather than the “seven minus one“.

Geneva Talks
On Sunday night, Jalili briefed senior Turkish officials on the outcome of nuclear talks with Group 5+1 in Geneva.
During a stopover in Ankara on his way back home from Geneva, the Iranian official held talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan.
The Turkish prime minister’s foreign policy advisor, Ahmed Dao’d Uglu, was also present in the meeting.
While in Ankara, he discussed latest regional developments, particularly talks with Solana.
In a short talk with the press after their meeting, Jalili and Babacan told reporters that their meeting was held “on the basis of Tehran-Ankara high-level regular consultations.“
Jalili’s short visit to Turkey has taken place while Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was in Ankara on Thursday night for holding separate meetings with his Turkish counterpart, the country’s President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Speaking to reporters after his talks with Jalili, Babacan said the two have exchanged views on Geneva talks.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, after receiving a letter from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, agreed to extend the term of Economy Ministry’s caretaker, Hossein Samsami, said vice president for legal and parliamentary affairs on Monday.
According to the presidential website, Mohammad Reza Rahimi added that after the expiry of the legal period of three months for introducing the new minister to Majlis and the summer vacation of MPs, the president wrote to the leader to allow an extension of the term until the MPs return.
On Sunday, Rahimi said the new economy minister will be introduced to Majlis in the coming days.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Cabinet session in Tehran, he added that he cannot confirm whether Samsami will be named the new minister. Rumors circulated on some websites that First Vice President Parviz Davoudi is a strong contender for the key post.
After weeks of speculation, President Ahmadinejad replaced former Economy Minister Davoud Danesh-Jafari for reasons described by the latter as differences over monetary and banking policies.

Iran on Sunday denied allegations by the Zionist AMIA institution.
“Unfortunately, under the influence of Zionist circles’ sinister plots and insinuations, the Argentine judicial system has turned a blind eye to real justice and the trial of the main culprits of AMIA explosion...while engaging in a blame game and propagating ridiculous and totally false claims so as to attribute the issue to nationals of other countries,“ an informed source at the Foreign Ministry told IRNA.
He noted that such approaches are aimed at influencing public opinion through immoral and opportunistic methods.
The AMIA bombing was an attack on the Asociaci—n Mutual Israelita Argentina building in Buenos Aires on July 18, 1994, which killed 85 people and injured hundreds.
Carried out during Carlos Menem’s presidency (1989-99), it was Argentina’s deadliest bombing. Argentina is home to a Jewish community of 200,000, the largest in Latin America.
“We recommend that Argentine officials and judicial system consider reports of well-credited international institutions regarding the inefficiency of the country’s judicial system and make efforts to administer real justice and avoid diverting the course of the trial,“ the source said on condition of annonymity.
On Sunday, AMIA’s new president, Guillermo Borger, demanded that Argentina cease commercial relations with Iran, claiming the country was behind the bombing.
The Iranian government has rebutted claims of having plotted the bombing.

Alireza Sheikh-Attar

A senior Iranian official says the US administration is divided over taking military action against Iran or sticking to the diplomatic path.
“A group of Americans are not only trying to create barriers for the Islamic Republic, but doing all in their power to topple the Iranian government, because they see it as a threat against US interests,“ Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Sheikh-Attar said on Monday, Presstv reported.
“Meanwhile, another group believes that three decades after the Islamic Revolution, Iran has turned into an undeniable power. They have realized that Iran has vast abilities in various fields and can play an effective part in shaping the future of the region,“ he said.
The deputy foreign minister’s comments come two days after a senior US official took part in direct nuclear talks with Iran for the first time.
On Saturday, US Undersecretary of State William Burns attended talks in Geneva among Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana and representatives of six major powers.
Sheikh-Attar referred to the US decision to enter into direct negotiation with Iran as a positive move and said Washington decided to engage in talks after it realized that its policy of threats and pressure had failed.
“Every positive step taken by Washington will be answered with a similar move,“ he said.

U-Turn
Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission’s Rapporteur Kazem Jalali said on Sunday if the US makes a U-turn in its diplomacy, its presence in talks with Iran could be ’positive’.
Speaking to IRNA, Jalali said Washington has created many obstacles in dealing with Iran’s nuclear issue.
“If the US changes its attitude and changes its course of action in dealing with Iran’s nuclear issue, it could be regarded as a significant development,“ he said.
“Whenever Iran tries to remove obstacles to bolster cooperation with IAEA and the EU, the US brings up diversionary issues to steer the talks away from its course.“
The rapporteur noted that if the presence of US envoy would not harm the trend of mutual talks and help it achieve concrete result, it would be regarded as positive.
“The US has always sought to fish in troubled waters,“ he said.
“We should exercise patience and avoid making hasty judgments to see what stance will be adopted by the US,“ he said.
Jalali said the US has already declared that they have set preconditions for talks with Iran but were forced to overlook them.

New Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hassan Qashqavi (c) talks with former spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini in Tehran on Monday, as Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki looks on.

New Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hassan Qashqavi, was officially inducted in a ceremony attended by Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Monday.
Qashqavi, former ambassador to Sweden and Kazakhstan, succeeded Mohammad Ali Hosseini who was appointed foreign minister’s deputy for legal and international affairs, IRNA said.
The ceremony was attended by senior officials and deputies of the Foreign Ministry as well as the Managing Director of the Islamic Republic News Agency Mohammad Jafar Behdad.
Qashqavi was Iran’s former ambassador to Sweden and a representative of Shahriar in the fourth and sixth Majlis.
Addressing the ceremony, Mottaki said the Iranian foreign policy apparatus enjoys sufficient capacity to render services in line with the lofty goals of the Islamic system.
“Thanks to the employment of expert methods, the ministry has played a more active and dynamic role in the current government,“ he said.
He highlighted the importance of interactions with the media, based on sincere, transparent and mutual understanding as a distinguished characteristic of a spokesman.
Mottaki also hailed Hosseini’s performance during the past two years and wished him success in his new post.