From an interview with Hossein Mousavi-Tabrizi, secretary of the Qom Seminaries Association of Researchers and Instructors, as reported by MEMRI:
Q: “Is there a way to resolve the nuclear issue peacefully?”
A: “In my opinion, there was and is a solution. But right now the situation is more difficult. These problems could have been solved in a better way. One of the best ways is for us to reduce the political tension in the world. We cannot solve our problem by creating additional tension; the way we’re going, we are causing the creation of a world consensus against us. “The most important task of the previous government [and the] previous Supreme National Security Council [as headed by Hassan Rohani] was to prevent the creation of a consensus against us, and they succeeded at this. But, most unfortunately, today America is advancing in the direction of creating a consensus against us...” [emphasis added]
Q: “Is it appropriate for us to talk with America too, under the present conditions?”
A: “Yes, indeed. What is the problem? Negotiations do not mean dependence. Are the other countries that are negotiating with America dependent upon it? First, negotiations do not mean relations. Second, relations do not mean dependence. Right now, we maintain that Syria is not dependent upon America, but at the same time, the two countries are conducting negotiations and contacts, and maintaining ambassadors and embassies. We too can conduct negotiations, even open [negotiations], and also have contacts [with the U.S.] – as happened many times [between the U.S. and Iran] in the matter of Afghanistan and Iraq. There was a need for them to sit and talk because there were issues that required discussion. [The countries] can talk now, too.”
Source (in Arabic): http://www.roozonline.com/08interview/014666.shtml
