Rouhani says Iran has ‘serious will’ to make a deal on nuclear program

     
Ruben Sprich/Reuters - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani smiles during a session at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 23.
 By Martin Baron and Anne Gearan, Updated: Thursday, January 23, 2:48 PM E-mail the writers

 DAVOS, Switzerland — Iran’s president said Thursday that his country has a “serious will” to reach a deal that resolves international doubts about its nuclear program, but will not give up what he called peaceful technology or consent to rules that treat Iran differently than other nations with nuclear know-how.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addressed the World Economic Forum here as Iran enters six months of intensive talks with world powers over the bounds of a program that the United States, Israel and other nations suspect is aimed at building a nuclear bomb. His speech, and a round of media interviews here, continue a remarkable revamp of Iran’s image abroad, led by the smiling multilingual cleric who on Thursday called his political philosophy “prudent moderation.”


“We are ready” to make a deal, Rouhani said. “Of course, this is a long and winding and difficult road. However, if we remain serious and keep the will, we can push through.”

The words echo the cautious tone of both President Obama — who gave a deal a 50-50 chance of success last month — and Secretary of State John F. Kerry. Rouhani’s statements about Iran’s nuclear ambitions were also familiar.

“I strongly and clearly declare that nuclear weapons have no place in our security strategy and that Iran has no motivation to move in that direction,” Rouhani said in a brief address that was followed by questions from a moderator. Rouhani would not be specific about whether he would make any outreach to Israel and was vague about what Iran might do to help resolve the civil war in Syria.

Iran’s exclusion from the convening of United Nations-backed peace talks on Syria this week briefly shifted world attention away from the long-running nuclear dispute. The United States had opposed Iran’s inclusion in the Syria talks and accuses Iran of prolonging the war. But it was clear this week that the finger-pointing was a sideshow to the nuclear negotiations that both nations see as the highest foreign policy priority.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/rouhani-says-iran-has-serious-will-to-make-a-deal-on-nuclear-program/2014/01/23/eb4ae534-843c-11e3-8099-9181471f7aaf_story.html