Iran's dialogue on its nuclear program with Bulgaria, which Iran considers as an important European Union Member State, would contribute to make a better progress on the issue in the future, the visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Motaki told reporters on Tuesday.
"There is coincidence of the opinions that the nuclear program may be used for peaceful purposes," Motaki, who is on a one-day visit to Bulgaria, said at a joint news conference after the talks at the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry which lasted longer than expected.
Motaki noted that Bulgaria and Iran oppose the proliferation of mass destruction weapons and that Iran cooperates well with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The country's cooperation with the IAEA would help clarify issues, related to the past of the Iranian nuclear activities, Motaki added, hoping that after this clarification there will be more opportunities for talks with the EU countries on this and other issues.
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin said it is very important for Bulgaria that the issue of the Iranian nuclear program be removed as quickly as possible from the agenda of the EU-Iranian relations.
Bulgaria is happy that intensive dialogues have been going on with IAEA experts for several months now. The Bulgarian position is that the more transparency, clarity and dialogue there is, the faster this issue will be settled, Kalfin added.
Motaki also said Russia and Iran rank first and second, respectively, in terms of natural gas deposits. They both want to have big markets and it is up to Europe to decide which one to choose.
Bulgaria is one of the important countries in transiting Iranian gas to Europe. If the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum and its Bulgarian counterpart wish so, they can set up a joint committee in the field of energy and its operation may get very good results, Motaki stressed.
Source: Xinhua
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