TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) – Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini on Sunday said the UN atomic watchdog Deputy Director General Olli Heinonen will visit Tehran today/tomorrow to continue talks over Iran’s nuclear program.

Speaking to reporters at his weakly press briefing, Hosseini rejected rumors that the visit aims to discuss Heinonen’s February 25 allegation that Iran had been engaged in weaponization studies including clandestine uranium enrichment.
“Heinonen’s trip to Tehran will take place within the framework of Iran’s cooperation with the (International Atomic Energy) Agency and is a normal trip,” the spokesman stressed.
“We have responded to the agency’s questions in line with the modality plan and these issues have been completely resolved.”
He also dismissed Western media reports that the IAEA official plans to investigate Iran’s alleged clandestine nuclear studies, asserting that the Islamic Republic “is not conducting any kind of covert or confidential nuclear activities.”
Iran’s nuclear program is under the direct supervision of the UN nuclear watchdog, Hosseini underlined.
---------- 9/11 event suspicious
The spokesman backed President Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s recent comments about the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington, saying, “As far as all the aspects of this event are not cleared up, we view it as a suspicious incident.”
Addressing a rally in Qom on Wednesday Ahmadinejad voiced doubts over the U.S. version of the 9/11 attacks, calling it a “suspicious event” that was used as a pretext to invade Afghanistan and Iraq.
Hosseini said, “Many analysts also believe that some aspects of the incident have remained ambiguous and we will make no definite comment until they are clarified.”
--------- Iran pursuing Iraq’s security
Referring to the April 22 meeting of Iraq’s neighbors which aims to discuss ways to resolve the country’s security crisis, Hosseini insisted on Iran’s serious efforts to help secure Iraq.
“In our meetings with Iraq’s neighbors, we have always encouraged them to engage in more influential activities regarding Iraq’s crisis.
“We have advised them to resume high-level relations with Iraq… The proposals Iran has so far presented for Iraq’s security have been welcomed,” he stated.
----- Canadian MPs interested in visiting Iran
The spokesman confirmed reports that a number of Canadian lawmakers have expressed willingness to visit Iran to study the country’s legislative system, election process, and other issues of interest.
---------- Iran’s nuclear plant meets safety standards
Bushehr nuclear power station is operating at the highest of safety standards under the direct supervision of the UN nuclear watchdog, Hosseini said in response to the EU’s calls for Iran to sign the Convention on Nuclear Safety.
According to the Associated Press, the European Union on Monday urged Iran to open its nuclear program to greater international scrutiny by joining the Convention on Nuclear Safety that lets member nations ask for information about safety programs at each others’ facilities.
----- Tehran seeking to amend anti-Iran policies
Hosseini rejected calls for a boycott of diplomatic ties with certain European countries in response to their mounting anti-Iran remarks, saying Tehran is seeking to bridge current differences.
“Iran’s foreign diplomacy is not based on cutting relation. We are trying to amend these countries’ political approach,” the spokesman stated.
He expressed hope that “countries will adopt proper policies towards one another.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, Hosseini shrugged off al-Qaeda’s recent accusation that Iran is seeking to annex southern Iraq, saying the claim cannot be studied as its source is unclear.
According to AFP, Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri in a nearly 16 minute message posted on the Internet has said, “Iran has clear goals, which is the annexation of southern Iraq and the east of the (Arabian) Peninsula.”
----- No nuclear talks with 5+1
The spokesman ruled out talks with the 5+1 group (five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) over the nuclear program.
“Iran’s nuclear issue has been concluded under the modality plan (agreed) by the agency and is following its normal process,” he asserted.
However he said, “About other issues we believe that there are good grounds for Iran and European countries to hold talks. We believe that… the two sides’ relations can be organized more appropriately.”
------- Bush, Brown’s unfounded comments
Hosseini dismissed as baseless U.S. and Britain’s accusations that Iran is pursuing atomic arms.
U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who was in Washington last week, pledged a united effort to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, Reuters reported.
“These remarks are not consistent with the realities of Iran’s activities and the agency’s legal and technical reports; thus they are merely unfounded allegations,” Hosseini observed.
“As far as Iran’s nuclear activities are peaceful, no law could ban Iran from continuing them, therefore something that has no legal and technical basis is not considerable for us,” he added.
BA/ END MN