Secretary-General's joint press encounter with Mr. Ali Larijani,
Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran (unofficial transcript)

SG: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I have just had a very good and constructive discussion with Mr. Larijani. As you can imagine, we discussed the nuclear issue as well as the many regional issues of concern to Iran and to the United Nations. I found the discussions helpful and it will come in handy as I move ahead with my work. And I need all the help I can because your region is keeping me and the United Nations very, very busy. Thank you very much, Mr. Larijani.

Mr. Larijani: I would like to thank Mr. Kofi Annan for coming to Iran. As he said correctly, he had constructive and good discussions. His view for the resolution of the nuclear problem of Iran is positive. And we will support the efforts he will make in this connection. Both sides agree and accept that the best solution to this problem can be found through negotiation. And we hope we will be able to use his good offices and the capacity that he has, which is very high, for this purpose. And again, I emphasize that our reply to the package that we received from 5 plus 1 was on the basis of his recommendation. And his responsibility both with respect to regional issues and with respect to nuclear issue is very critical and important. And we need to have continuous consultations with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.