Nuclear Talks Only on Equal Basis TEHRAN, May 17 (Press TV) - Iran's ambassador to Russia Gholam-Reza Ansari says Tehran is ready for discussions on international and nuclear issues on an equal basis. "The Iranian package (which was submitted by Ansari to the Russian Foreign Ministry ) includes Tehran's proposals on issues ranging from energy and sustainable security to nuclear rights of nations," the envoy said. "But Iran's position is that these issues should be resolved and discussed on an equal basis. We need equal dialogue with all countries," Ansari said Friday at a RIA Novosti press conference. On incentives to be presented to Iran by the six major powers aimed at persuading the country to halt its enrichment program, the ambassador stated, "Tehran has not received the package yet and is planning to begin studying it closely immediately after its submission." "But offering incentives to Iran (in return for suspension of its nuclear program) is surprising. We don't understand the real aim of such an offer," he said. The world's six major powers, the self-appointed G 5+1, composed of the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, were reported to have put together a new package of incentives on May 2 to sway the Islamic Republic by means of a so-called carrot-and-stick approach to halt its nuclear activities. As a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran has every right to acquire nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, the ambassador noted. It is not understandable why the major powers want to deny Iran such a basic right, Ansari argued. "We enjoy very active and constructive cooperation with the IAEA. The agency's inspectors have visited Iran's nuclear facilities three times in recent weeks. We intend to continue to cooperate with the agency in the future," he added. Iran said Friday it had submitted to the Russian and Chinese Foreign Ministries its own package of proposals on nuclear non-proliferation and other international security issues. Tehran has already submitted to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana "an array of its own proposals" on the resolution of outstanding international problems, including the long-running dispute over the country's nuclear program. Meanwhile, Russian foreign ministry official said on Friday that his country is reviewing the package of incentives proposed by Iran. Talking to RIA-Novosti (Rossiiskoye Informatsionnoye Agentstvo), the Russian official whose name is not still disclosed said that the results of the inspection will be declared to Iran. Iran's package of proposal including the international issues, Non-Proliferation Treaty in particular, was presented to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov by Iran's Ambassador to Russia Gholam-Reza Ansari on Friday. Islamic Republic of Iran has frequently stated that it will never relinquish the nation's rights to peaceful nuclear energy. Iran's package of proposals including different world questions has been also presented to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, European Union Foreign Policy chief Javier Solana and the member states of Group 5+1. Gholam-Reza Ansari Mottaki Says US Responsible for Violating Diplomatic Immunity TEHRAN, May 17 (Dispatches) - Iran has denounced terror attacks on Iranian diplomats at Iranian Embassy in Baghdad and held the US responsible for violating diplomatic immunity in Iraq. "Iran strongly condemns the terrorist attack against Iranian diplomats," said Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in a statement. The embassy staff, including two diplomats and two guards, came under attack on Thursday in the Iraqi capital. The shooting occurred as their convoy was headed to a revered Shia shrine in the northern Baghdad neighborhood of Kazimiyah. Iran blames the US occupation of Iraq as the principal source of instability in the country. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mohammad-Ali Hosseini, earlier condemned the murder attempt against Iranian diplomats in Baghdad. "The onus is on the occupation forces to ensure the security of embassy personnel in Baghdad. The distrustful safety measures taken by the US military in Iraq have become a serious cause for concern as it is stoking instability in the country," said Hosseini on Thursday. Mottaki missioned Iran's Ambassador to Baghdad Hassan Kazemi Qomi to work with Iraqi officials to transfer the diplomats to Iran for medical treatment. In related news, Iran has said the terrorist attack against the Iranian embassy personnel in Baghdad will not affect the country's relations with Iraq. "Iran will continue its support of the Iraqi government and try to bolster ties between the two nations," a statement released by the Iranian embassy in Baghdad said on Saturday. "Such cowardly attacks carried out by terrorists cannot prevent the embassy of of the Islamic Republic from fulfilling its duties and obligations and this was not the first time the Iranian embassy staff was made a target of terrorist operations," the statement added. Condemnation of the terrorist attacks conducted against innocent Iraqis and political missions in that country would help boost security and stability in Iraq, it underlined. Iraqi police and security officials promised Iran to arrest masterminds of the attack and hand them over to the Iraqi courts, the statement stated. In April 2004, the first secretary to the Iranian embassy in Iraq, Khalil Na'imi, was assassinated by unknown assailants in Baghdad. Manouchehr Mottaki Iraqi President Rules Out Anti-Iran Allegations TEHRAN, May 17 (IRNA) - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani Friday evening ruled out the US allegations against Iran and alleged involvement in sending weapons to Iraq. Speaking in a televised interview with the Al-Arabia TV of Iraq, Talabani said he, as the president of Iraq, did not agree the claims made by some military officers in this regard. President Talabani said that comments made by certain persons were their personal opinions and not the official position of the Iraqi government. Commenting on existence of Iran-made weapons in Iraq, President Talabani explained that the weapons were sent to Iraq during Saddam Hussein's dictatorship, as Iran had provided Iraqi opposition, including the Patriotic Union for Kurdistan of Iraq, with weapons. As for Tehran's alleged interference in Iraq's internal affairs by negotiating with Iraqi religious leader Moqtada al-Sadr, the Iraqi president said helping Iraq resolve its domestic problems was not interfering in the country's internal affairs. Iran has so far brokered a ceasefire between the Iraqi government and al-Mahdi Army. He said that Iraqi officials have accepted the principle to form a tripartite relations with Iran and US officials on Iraq security by establishing a tripartite committee. "That is not called interference, that is a help for Iraq to resolve its problems," President Talabani added. Commenting on Algeria Agreement signed between Iranian and Iraqi officials in 1975, the Iraqi president said the agreement was registered with the United Nations as an international document and that it could not be canceled unilaterally. He said that the two sides need to reach an understanding on the issue through bilateral talks. President Talabani expressed his trust in strengthening of Tehran-Baghdad relations as well as cooperation in economic, political and security fields. Jalal Talabani US, Israel Spread Anti-Iran Lies TEHRAN, May 17 (Press TV) - The Islamic Republic of Iran says the US and the Zionist regime are spreading baseless rumors about its peaceful nuclear program. "The US and the Zionist regime are trying to keep Iran's nuclear dossier in the United Nations Security Council by spreading lies and rumors against the country. They use this as a stratagem to keep the council away from its main responsibility of maintaining international peace and security," Iran's ambassadors to Tokyo, the Hague and Zagreb maintained. "Given the fact that the outstanding issues surrounding Iran's nuclear program have been resolved between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), there is no justification for keeping its nuclear case in the Security Council," the envoys underlined. Iran's ambassador to Japan, Abbas Araqchi, condemned the council's neglect and indifference regarding the Zionist regime's possession of nuclear weapons. Israel is widely believed to be the sole possessor of 200 to 400 nuclear warheads in the Middle East. "The daily threats made by the Zionist regime against Iran and the killing of innocent Palestinians are not issues that can be easily ignored by the United Nations as a body responsible for maintaining international security," Araqchi stressed. Iran's envoy to the Netherlands, Bozorgmehr Ziaran, slammed Washington and Tel Aviv for fueling tensions in the Middle East by violating international regulations and UN resolutions. "The occupiers of Palestine and their close ally and supporter, the US, see their legitimacy in creating instability in the Middle East," Tehran's ambassador to Croatia, Mohammad-Hossein Fadaei-Fard said, lambasting Washington for the killing of innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Zionist regime for the massacre of Palestinians. The ambassadors also briefed Japanese, Dutch and Croatian officials on Iran's new package of proposals aimed at resolving outstanding international problems, including the long-running dispute over Iran's nuclear program. The Iranian package, so far submitted to the Russian and Chinese Foreign Ministries as well as the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, contains proposals on issues ranging from energy, disarmament, justice, welfare, sustainable peace and security to the nuclear rights of nations. GC Secretary Meets Pak Ulema ISLAMABAD, May 17 (IRNA) - Secretary of Guardian Council met with Pakistani Ulema and religious dignitaries at Iranian Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday evening. Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati addressed the meting in the presence of Iran's Ambassador to Pakistan Mashaallah Shakeri, the Leader of Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) Fazl-ur-Rehman, the Secretary General of Pakistan Muslim League (PML) Mushahid Hussein and a number of Pakistani religious and political dignitaries and officials. Ayatollah Jannati said that Iran and Pakistan as two Muslim and brotherly nations can achieve unity and play effective role in anti-hegemony campaign. Mentioning the Islamic Revolution's impact on the Muslim world, the ayatollah added that Islamic Republic of Iran made victory in 1979 while the country was surrounded by arrogant powers and colonialists as well. Moreover, he said that such victory aroused the oppressed people's hopes for Islam's bright future. Stressing the key leading role the late Imam Khomeini played in Islamic Revolution's victory, Jannati said that the modern thoughts of Imam Khomeini flourished dramatically in the Muslim world. From the birth, the Islamic Revolution has supported oppressed people throughout the world, he noted. "By hatching satanic conspiracies in the occupied Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan, the hegemonic powers are trying to shatter Muslims' unity, all of which are being foiled," the ayatollah said. Concluding his speech, Jannati pointed out the existing obstacles to Muslim world that removing them needs Islamic nations' and Ummah's solidarity and unity. Secretary of Guardian Council leading Iranian delegation arrived in Islamabad on Friday. Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati