The meeting is a plenary session with Shamil Aleskerov the Secretary-General and member states representatives from Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Pakistan.
The 24th Regional Planning Council is underway in Tehran from February 23-26. According to the Organization’s statute, it would try to improve conditions for sustainable economic development of member countries and the gradual elimination of trade barriers in the region.
ECO also works to prepare a common human development program for its 10 member states and also to develop transportation and communication lines.
Araghchi also responded to a Mehr News question in the sidelines of the session about Wendy Sherman’s remarks who had said that Iran would have limited enrichment after final agreement. “According to Geneva joint Plan of Action, Iran would continue to enrich uranium. Iran would also continue to enrich uranium when final deal reached,” Araghchi added, believing that the issue was confirmed by the US and Mrs. Sherman, which is recognition of the right of enrichment for Iran and which rules out the zero enrichment issue.
“According to agreements made in the past, Iran and Powers would keep agreements on enrichment and its scopes and necessary supervisions and inspections to guarantee its peaceful nature during the implementation of comprehensive solution,” Araghchi went on to say, “so, an issue in future talks would be the scope of Iran’s enrichment and deciding it according to Iran’s needs, and then to apply necessity safeguards to secure the peaceful nature of enrichment.”
“We have no qualms for being inspected by the Powers or IAEA inspectors; since we are confident that our program is peaceful,” asserted the deputy-FM. “Sherman’s remarks are a second recognition that Iran would continue enrichment and its scope would be addressed in comprehensive solution.”
He also told that Mrs. Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief would visit Tehran in March 10-11.
SH/ZK
MNA
END