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Fore
ign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma told Iranian government
officials in Teheran on Thursday that South Africa hoped the
dispute over Iran's nuclear programme could be resolved through
negotiations.
After meeting Iran's foreign minister, Manoucher Mottaki, and a
second meeting with the secretary-general of Iran's national
security council and chief negotiator on nuclear issues, Ali
Larijani, Dlamini-Zuma said: "We've had a briefing and we're going
to take that to our president so that he can understand and see
what his own contribution can be.
"But what I can say is that the president, the government of South
Africa and I'm quite sure the people of South Africa... would hope
that this matter can be resolved through negotiation and in an
amicable way."
Dlamini-Zuma said South Africa's position on the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) had not changed.
"... members of the NPT have obligations and have got rights and
those obligations must be observed but the rights must also be
enjoyed.”
An audio recording of her remarks was relayed to Sapa.
Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa said
Dlamini-Zuma and Mottaki had earlier discussed bilateral relations
and the forthcoming joint South African-Iranian commission to be
held in South Africa.
They also discussed the situation in the Middle East and Iran's
nuclear programme.
Dlamini-Zuma will proceed on Friday to St Petersburg in Russia
where she will join a delegation led by President Thabo Mbeki to
the G8 summit to discuss energy security, education and infectious
diseases.
South Africa has been invited to the summit with Congo
(Brazzaville) as outreach partners of the G8. Other partners
include China, Brazil, India and Mexico, Mamoepa said. - Sapa
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