|
A recent addition to our newsletter project, “Viewpoints on Iran” offers exclusive interviews with high ranking Iranian officials who have knowledge and potential influence over Iran’s nuclear decision-making. The purpose of this project is to better understand the varying perspectives shaping policy choices on the country’s nuclear activities. |
|
 Dr. Mahmoud Mohammadi - Member of the Iranian Parliament and former spokesman of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (1992-1999)March 8, 2009 - Vancouver, Canada “The Europeans and the United States made a strategic mistake by ignoring the Khatami administration’s good-will gesture.” says Dr. Mahmoud Mohammadi, Member of the Iranian Parliament and former spokesman of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (1992-1999). In the Simons Centre’s exclusive interview, Dr. Mohammadi discussed the upcoming Iranian Presidential elections and the implications on the future of Iran's nuclear technology developments, the potential interests and benefits to Iran for engagement with the United States, the domestic consequences on improved relations with the United States, the state of back-channel processes related to Iran-US relations, the future prospects for Iran’s relations with Canada, and the potential role for Canada in facilitating Iran-US dialogue. Please refer to the attachment for the full interview. |
 Mr. Esfandyar Rahim Mashaei - Iran's Vice President and Cultural Heritage and Tourism Chief March 6, 2009 - Vancouver, Canada. “Before Mr. Ahmadinejad, Iran’s nuclear policies were passive. The West pushed Iran back step by step. The management of President Ahmadinejad changed the circumstances in our favor.” says Mr. Esfandyar Rahim Mashaei, Iran’s Vice President and Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization Chief. In the Simons Centre’s exclusive in person interview, Mr. Mashaei stated that there can be no compromise on the fact that nuclear technology is the right of the Iranian nation and that confidence building does not negate the right to possess the technology. He also discusses the future of US-Iran relations, the upcoming Iranian Presidential elections, the role of Diaspora communities in the economic development of Iran, and the prospects of an international nuclear enrichment consortium proposal. Please refer to the attachment for the full interview. |
 Mr. Gholam Reza Aghazadeh - Iran's Vice President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of IranAugust 27, 2008 - Tehran, Iran “[The total expenditures for developing Iran’s nuclear program] have been so little that mentioning them will cause trouble...Because other countries would follow in our footsteps once they learned how little nuclear technology would cost them if they relied on their own human resources.”says Mr. Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, Iran’s Vice President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. In the Simons Centre’s exclusive in person interview, Mr. Aghazadeh stated that the most important thing to us [Iran] is processing the know-how and the ability to upgrade [the centrifuges] without having to depend on the outside. He also stated “I am optimistic about these [the future of nuclear] talks because Iran has passed the stage of mastering nuclear enrichment, and those on the other side of the talks know that we have set a new precedent and are at a point of no return.” The interview also covered Iran's nuclear decisions making process, and developments in Iran's centrifuge manufacturing process. Please refer to the attachment for the full interview. |
 Dr. Abbas Maleki - Director General of the International Institute for Caspian Studies and former Deputy Foreign Minister (1988-1997)August 12, 2008 - Tehran, Iran
“External and internal exaggerations of Iran’s nuclear program have created a scary image of Iran’s nuclear activities. The best solution to this problem would be for Iran to stop expanding its nuclear activities.” says Dr. Abbas Maleki, Director General of the International Institute for Caspian Studies and former Deputy Foreign Minister (1988-1997). In the Simons Centre’s exclusive interview, Dr. Maleki stated that electricity is what Iran needs urgently and other uses of nuclear technology, such as nuclear medicine, are not as vital. Also, he stated he would accept the freeze-for-freeze notion by not adding to Iran’s centrifuge machines in return for [the West] not stepping up their sanctions for the duration of a six-week period. He also discusses Iran's regional relations in the Middle East and Central Asia and the differences in threat perceptions of the two areas towards Iran's nuclear program, the prospects of a freeze-for-freeze proposal, and the idea that Iran should stop expanding its nuclear activities. Please refer to the attachment for the full interview. |
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 1 of 2 |
Program Activities 
