The next round of the talks on Iranian nuclear program by G5+1 took place in Istanbul, on April 14. The experts and international diplomats announced that the talks passed in positive atmosphere and it is possible to settle the issue by negotiations.
As Iranian side announced on Thursday that it is ready to renew talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Tehran‘s ambassador to the United Nations nuclear watchdog, refused to say if this meant that the Islamic Republic was responding positively to the agency’s principle demand to allow inspectors to examine the facility at Parchin. The international media writes about this.
At the same time Business week writes that Iran‘s oil minister on Thursday raised the prospect of more cutoffs in oil sales to the European Union if the bloc failed to show some flexibility toward Iran ahead of a second round of nuclear talks next month.
Oil Minister Rostam Ghasemi said that while Iran has cut sales to Britain and France, it continues selling crude to “other countries” in the world. The remarks were likely to stir up confusion since they appeared to contradict earlier government statements that Tehran had also cut exports to Greece and Spain.
Iran first imposed the oil embargoes on Britain and France in February and in April, it said oil sales were cut to Greece and Spain as well. The measures were meant as pre-emptive retaliation ahead of an EU oil embargo that is due to go into effect in July.
The EU imposed the ban because of Iran‘s refusal to halt its controversial nuclear program. The bloc imports some 18 percent of total 2.2 million barrels of Iran‘s daily oil production.
Ghasemi said that if sanctions imposed by the 27-nation bloc were not lifted by the next round of nuclear talks between Tehran and world powers, then “we will surely cut oil to Europe.”
“We are hopeful that they will lift sanctions on Iran‘s oil,” said Ghasemi. “What we have officially cut is crude export to Britain and France. The oil sale to other countries has continued.”
The Western economical sanctions aim to press on Iran and urge it to refuse the nuclear enrichment program. Iran claims that the program is just for the civilian needs and it won’t be stopped.
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