Tehran, Aug 11, IRNA -- Iran on Monday brushed aside pressures on     
Tehran to sign an additional protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty 
(NPT), saying the country would take its national interests into      
account first to make a decision.                                     
    "No matter whether the pressures are increased or decreased, the  
Islamic Republic of Iran will make a decision on the basis of its     
national interests as well as its principles and values with realism  
and wisdom," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said.        
    The official, talking to reporters in his weekly briefing,        
stressed that "westerners must have in mind that we have legitimate   
worries, which have to be addressed".                                 
    Asefi described the results of discussions between a legal team of
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts and Iranian     
officials here last week as "helpful".                                
    "The session was helpful, in which the two sides put forward their
views, but revealing details about the session, given its nature, is  
not necessary," he said.                                              
    "In the discussions, the two sides became familiar with each      
other's views. We too clearly announced our points of vantage," he    
added.                                                                
    Asefi reiterated that Iran's nuclear energy programs are peaceful 
and that Tehran is not intending to use the nuclear energy technology 
for "political ends".                                                 
    "The Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly clarified at the     
highest official level what its view about nuclear arms is and        
President (Mohammad Khatami) explicitly announced last week that we   
have a religious ban on the use of nuclear weapons."                  
    The legal IAEA team arrived in Tehran last Monday to discuss the  
technical details of the Additional Protocol to NPT, including        
existing 'ambiguities' which Iran says must be removed before the     
country decides on signing it.                                        
    The protocol could allow UN inspectors to visit Iran's nuclear    
facilities at short notice.                                           
    Iranian officials have said they look positively at the protocol, 
but have conditioned the signing on the lifting of sanctions by       
nuclear powers which have prevented Tehran from acquiring the know-how
for peaceful use of nuclear energy.                                   
    Government spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh said last week that the
issue of signing the protocol "will be examined in the government and 
the final decision in this regard will be made by Supreme National    
Security Council after Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei)'s      
approval".                                                            
    Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi has said Iran would decide on     
joining the protocol after hearing explanations given by the IAEA team
about Tehran's concerns.                                              
    The legal experts' visit will be followed by that of a technical  
team to Iran soon to discuss Tehran's cooperation with the energy     
watchdog and compile a report for presentation to a meeting of IAEA's 
Board of Governors in Vienna in September.                            
    Thirty-five members of the board are due to make a decision on    
Iran's nuclear energy activities after hearing IAEA chief Mohamed     
ElBaradei's report.                                                   
    The board called on the Islamic Republic in its June 9 meeting to 
sign the Additional Protocol to NPT.                                  
BH/211                                                                
End