TEHRAN - Kuwaiti Parliament Speaker Jassem Mohammad al-Kharafi said on Saturday that the Persian Gulf littoral countries are concerned about the nuclear activities in the region, including Iran’s, but insisted that Kuwait is certain that Iran’s nuclear program is meant for peaceful purposes.

“However, I believe that the Iranian side is honest in its statements about the peacefulness of its nuclear program,” al-Kharafi told the Mehr News Agency in an e-mail interview. Al-Kharafi said Iran should try to clear up the differences by making its activities more transparent and providing the necessary assurances about its nuclear activities. He said using nuclear energy for civilian purposes is legal but the activities should be transparent and in line with the international laws. The senior Kuwaiti official criticized the West’s double standards toward using nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Israel’s nuclear arsenal is totally ignored but other countries face sanctions even to use nuclear energy for civilian purposes, he pointed out. -------------- Democracy cannot be airlifted Asked about implementation of the Greater Middle East Initiative by the United States, AL-Kharafi said, “Democracy cannot be airlifted. It should be indigenous, according to the norms of the people, in line with their social, political and cultural milieu.” ------------- Foreign interference Asked if the current crises in Lebanon, Palestine, and Iraq have been caused by interference by the West, the Kuwaiti parliament speaker said, “The problem is not just because of the interference by the West.” However, foreign intervention in the affairs of the Middle East countries is not acceptable because instead of solving anything it creates more problems for the region, he added