TEHRAN, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Recognizing Iran's nuclear rights is a precondition for direct talks with the United States, Iran's president-elect Hassan Rouhani said Monday.
"In order for the negotiations to be resumed, U.S. officials should not interfere in Iran's internal affairs; they should recognize all Iranian rights including the nuclear ones; and the United States should give up unilateral measures against Iran," said the incoming president.
"Any talk with the United States should be based on mutual respect and interests," said Rouhani, who won Iran's presidential race with just more than 50 percent of all votes over the weekend to avoid a run-off.
In his first press conference after being elected, Rouhani said the issue of "Iran's relation with the United States is a complicated and difficult one. It is an old wound which should be healed through wisdom."
"Anyway, we will not pursue escalating the tensions," he said, adding that "the two nations should think more about future and try to mend the past."
Speaking of his administration's willingness to build " constructive interaction" with the world, he said "Today, a new opportunity for interaction with the world has emerged, we hope all countries take advantage of the new developments taking place in Iran."
About Iran's strategy to resolve its disputed nuclear issue, Rouhani said that his country will try to be more "transparent," describing sanctions imposed on Iran as "oppressive and unfair" and "only benefit(ing) Israel."
Iran has been a target of UN sanctions due to its alleged attempts of building nuclear weapons.
On the talks between the Islamic republic and the world powers over the country's nuclear standoff, Rouhani said "We will further activate the talks with the P5+1 group (five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus German)."
"We believe that Iran's nuclear issue would only be settled through negotiations," Rouhani said, reiterating incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's words that "neither threats nor sanctions will yield results."
Asked whether Iran is ready to partially suspend its uranium enrichment program to resume talks with the P5+1 group, the president-elect said "We have other ways of trust-building."
The West accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons under cover of civilian nuclear programs, but Tehran always denies the accusations.
Meanwhile, on the Syrian crisis, Rouhani rejects any foreign interference, saying that "the Syrian people should solve their own problems and other countries should only cooperate to bring back peace to Syria." He also said that the current Syrian government should be accepted by the whole world as the legal ruling body until the next presidential election in Syria.
Iran has been the main regional ally of Damascus as its officials have repeatedly stressed Iran's support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis.
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