UN / MOTTAKI

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says that the election regulations in his country have been made so that, "no government organ can make irregularities or do anything to change the outcome of the elections." UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:06
• Production Date: 1 October 2009
• Asset Language: Original
• Subject Topical: POLITICAL AFFAIRS; LAW; INTERNATIONAL LAW; POLITICAL CONDITIONS; DISARMAMENT
• Geographic Subject: IRAN
• MAMS Id: U091001a

Description

STORY: UN / MOTTAKI
SOURCE: UNTV
TRT: 2.06
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FARSI / NATS

DATELINE: 1 OCTOBER 2009, NEW YORK CITY/ FILE

Shotlist

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior UN building

1 OCTOBER 2009, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, dais
3. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Manouchehr Mottaki, Foreign Minister of Iran:
“We consider the atmosphere as a constructive one and we hope that the other side will also have the same political will and determination as well as a constructive approach for participating in this dialogue.”
4. Wide shot, reporters
5. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Manouchehr Mottaki, Foreign Minister of Iran:
“Iran has been a member of the NPT for forty years. We have always been a committed member of the IAEA. Our cooperation with the agency has been transparent in accordance with the framework of its rules and regulations. We informed about the sites under construction eighteen months ahead of time.”
6. Med shot, reporters
7. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Manouchehr Mottaki, Foreign Minister of Iran:
“There are some people who are looking for trouble and want to create unrest, Like in other parts of the world; it is very clear how they must be dealt with. Those who were arrested were rioters, but the innocent ones were released.”
8. Wide shot, dais

Storyline

Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki gave a press conference today (1 October) at the United Nations expressing openness to continued dialogue with Western powers over Iran’s nuclear program and other issues.

The press encounter took place as talks between his country and the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany (a group known as the 5+1 countries) were underway in Geneva.

Mottaki said that the he viewed the current atmosphere as “a constructive one” and hoped “that the other side will also have the same political will and determination as well as a constructive approach for participating in this dialogue.”

Asked about the issue of Iran’s nuclear program and the recent revelation of a previously undisclosed nuclear facility at Qum, he said that Iran has been a longstanding member of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and “have always been a committed member of” the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He added that his country’s cooperation with the agency “has been transparent”, providing information “about the sites under construction eighteen months ahead of time.”

Turning to questions about alleged human rights violations after the recent contested elections, he said that some people “are looking for trouble and want to create unrest” and it was “very clear how they must be dealt with”. He insisted that “those who were arrested were rioters” while “the innocent ones were released.”

Yesterday, Mottaki visited Washington D.C., the first such visit by an Iranian foreign minister since the late 1990s. Iran does not maintain diplomatic relations with the United States but keeps an interest section in the Pakistani Embassy in Washington.