News
Saturday, May 13, 2006
No enrichment at all: EU draft* US rejects direct talks with Tehran
* Nejad says military action against his country is unlikelyBRUSSELS: The European Union will insist on Monday that Iran suspend all uranium enrichment despite Tehran’s demand that some be allowed for research goals, according to a draft declaration obtained by Reuters on Friday.
“The EU Council calls on the Iranian authorities to cooperate fully with the IAEA, suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development,” said the declaration drafted for EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday.
Tehran said on Thursday that a proposal being drawn up by European states on its nuclear programme must allow Iran to enrich uranium for atomic research and development purposes. Diplomats said the “EU3” states of Britain, France and Germany could meet on the margins of the Brussels talks to discuss a new package of incentives and sanctions designed to lure Iran back to the negotiating table.
The foreign ministers’ declaration gave no details of that package but stated, “The EU would be prepared to support Iran’s development of a safe, sustainable and proliferation-proof civilian nuclear programme if international concerns were fully addressed and confidence in Iran’s intentions established.”
The United States said on Thursday that it would not hold direct contacts with Iran and insisted that sanctions must be part of a new carrots-and-sticks offer being drawn up by major powers to curb Iran’s nuclear activities.
Addressing an influential Middle East policy group on Thursday night, Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns promised that Washington will not “quit the diplomatic track easily.”American experts and political figures including UN Secretary General Kofi Annan have urged the administration to talk directly to Iran in searching for a diplomatic solution.
But Burns rejected that, saying the world must “put responsibility where it lies” – on Iran, not the United States – for defying the international community and fanning the nuclear crisis. He warned Iran and other key players that “we can’t be captive to endless discussions in the (UN) Security Council and we won’t allow ourselves to be.”
Burns stressed the need for Washington to maintain a “hard edge” to its policy as the international community seeks to curb Iranian activities.
Courtesy http://www.DailyTimes.com.pk