International Affairs Deputy Head of the country's Atomic Energy Organization Mohamad Sa'idi said here Monday, "We reminded the Europeans during our talks with them in London at a meeting of the Iran-EU Steering Committee that results of IRI Presidential Elections would have no effects in country's nuclear programs." Speaking at a conference titled 'Surveying Iran's Nuclear Programs' at Faculty of Law and Political Sciences of Tehran University, Sa'idi added, "The most conservative and most extremist candidates of this election have emphasized that the nuclear technology is a national demand halting which is beyond the powers of all candidates."

Emphasizing that differences of opinion on country's nuclear activities are no eliminated, he said, "Viewpoints are quite close to one another's today and we have reached full consensus on country's clear activities inside the country."

UNIQUE NUCLEAR TALKS

Sa'idi emphasized, "What went on during the nuclear talks is quite unmatched in the country's history, but if there are any criticism regarding the technical aspects of the talks, or any certain claims, we are quite accountable toward our conduct, and would respond." The Nuclear Energy Organization's Foreign Affairs Deputy further emphasized, "We have never had any talks throughout history of the Islamic Revolution as sensitive as the nuclear talks." He added,"The Nuclear Energy Organization has been in charge of the executive aspects of the projects, while the propagation affairs inside the country is beyond our responsibilities."

LACK OF FEEDBACK FROM PUBLIC OPINION

Referring to the organization's "weak contact with the nation's public opinion", Sa'idi said, "Although the country's nuclear program has the strong support of the nation, we are unfortunately detached from the public opinion feed back."

Elaborating on the reason for lack of contact with the nation, he said, "The volume of poisonous propagation against us abroad was so high answering which left us with no free time to heed the questions raised in the minds of our own citizens, inside the country." The International Affairs Deputy Head of the Atomic Energy Organization emphasized, "Censorship is a wrong and unjust approach."

PRODUCING NUCLEAR FUEL

Focussing on uranium enrichment by Iran, he said, "Basically, producing nuclear fuel is a right for us and suspension of uranium enrichment is denying us that right, that is granted to us based on the articles of an international treaty.

Sa'idi reiterated, "If a country wishes to deprive itself of that right, it should naturally has to be a voluntary measure.

"Suspension was not desirable for us, but we accepted it to gain a chance to erase the doubts about our programs and to prove the fact to the world that our programs are merely of peaceful nature." He emphasized, "If we say today that it is necessary to end that voluntary suspension that goes with the IAEA's admitting the fact that Iran would not be breaching any article of its international commitments, and that is due to the fact that we have been fully successful in our trust-building approach."

Sa'idi added, "All the same, we will not resume our whole enrichment activities immediately and all together."

Sa'idi said, "In the first phase, based on our March 23 agreement with EU3, we would end suspension of our Isfahan UCF project. On the other hand, the Europeans have not found any legal basis for their emphasis that we have to permanently suspend out enrichment activities, and the trust-building efforts have reached their extreme limits."

He emphasized, "It is quite natural that the countries that have the full cycle of nuclear fuel production wish to monopolize it for themselves, but imposing international pressure on a country is in need of relying on a rational basis, since no country is based on any international treaty denied this right."

The International Affairs Deputy Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of the country reiterated, "We have made up our minds to resume our enrichment activities, and that decision is not reversible."

Sa'idi emphasized, "We cannot trust other countries' promises for constant provision of the nuclear fuel we would need for running our nuclear reactors and there are actually no guarantees that a country that is selling us the fuel today would keep selling it to us tomorrow, as well."

He expressed hope that the era for suspension would end soon, so that Iran would be able to continue its indigenous nuclear activities relying on its all-Iranian team.

23O AFFILIATED COMPANIES IN ISFAHAN

He added, "There are now 230 state and private firms active in pushing forth the Isfahan UFC project, that has taken shape based on highest international standards."

Sa'idi said, "Emphasis on the need to observe the highest international standards of the day has meanwhile resulted in improving the standards in all industrial fields in the country." The International Affairs Deputy Head of the country's Atomic energy Organization added, "We have the youngest team of atomic experts in the world, who would during the course of the next ten years manage to launch most significant national projects, and that would lead to a spectacular scientific and technological advancement for Iran in near future."

Sa'idi meanwhile announce the Atomic Energy Organization's readiness to provide the country's scientific and academic centers with the information they might need in all nuclear fields.

Iran's announcement Monday about resuming its enrichment activities resulted in immediate reaction from the US that warned Monday that a resumption of Iran's suspended nuclear fuel activities would have "consequences" for the Islamic Republic.

But acting State Department spokesman Tom Casey did not specify what steps the United States and its European allies might take if Iran broke an agreement struck last year during negotiations on its nuclear program.

The US spokesman said any move by Iran to resume activities such as preparation of uranium for enrichment "would be in clear violation of its suspension pledge and its agreement with the EU-3." "Obviously, a violation of that agreement with the EU-3, and a violation of their pledge, would have consequences," Casey said.

"And we'd have to look very carefully at what the next steps would be." He did not elaborate but US and other officials have spoken about taking the Iranians before the United Nations for possible sanctions.

Casey reiterated US support for the European effort to wean Iran off its suspected nuclear weapons ambitions with economic and security incentives. But he would not comment on progress in the talks.

"I don't want to try and handicap how that process is going. I'd leave that to the EU-3," he said. US officials have said they would give the talks until the summer before deciding whether to seek tougher action.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, too, has said last week that Iran's resumption of nuclear fuel cycle activities would effectively scuttle the talks.