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France rejects Iranian request for talks
(AP)
Updated: 2006-01-18 21:53
France rejected Iran's request for more talks on the
Islamic republic's nuclear program, saying Wednesday that Tehran first must
suspend its atomic activities.
Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, smiles
as he greets Iranian officialls during farewell ceremony for Tajik
president Emomali Rakhmonov, unseen, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 18,
2006. [AP] |
Iran asked for a ministerial-level meeting with France, Germany, Britain and
the European Union, but its decision to resume some uranium enrichment-related
activities "means that it is not possible for us to meet under satisfactory
conditions to pursue these discussions," French Foreign Ministry spokesman Denis
Simonneau said in Paris.
"Iran must return to a complete suspension of these activities."
U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns supported the idea that Iran
should suspend its program and return to talks.
"There is a consensus that Iran should turn back, return to negotiations and
suspend its nuclear program," Burns told reporters in Bombay, India, during a
South Asia tour. "But that's not the path Iran is on now."
The Bush administration sent Burns to London to coordinate a strategy with
Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia on dealing with Iran. Burns conceded
differences remained after Tuesday's meeting.
"We reached a consensus on some points ... others need to be worked on," he
said.
Burns repeated U.S. demands that the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency refer Iran
to the Security Council — where it could face sanctions — for resuming research
on centrifuges used in uranium enrichment. Russia and China oppose sending Iran
to the Security Council.
Earlier Wednesday, Iran's foreign minister told state radio the nation's
chances of being referred to the Security Council were slim. Manouchehr Mottaki
did not give a reason for his view, but emphasized that Iran wanted to restart
negotiations with Britain, France and Germany.
The European states, with U.S. backing, were calling for a Feb. 2 meeting of
the International Atomic Energy Agency to discuss taking action against Iran
following Tehran's decision earlier this month to resume small-scale enrichment
of uranium — a process that can produce material for atomic reactors or bombs.
A draft resolution for the meeting, read in part to The Associated Press in
Vienna, Austria, says Britain is proposing that the 35-nation IAEA refer Iran to
the Security Council, but it stops short of calling for punitive measures.
Instead, the draft urges the 15-nation council to press Tehran "to extend
full and prompt cooperation to the agency" in its investigation of suspect
nuclear activities.
Other members of the IAEA board, including Egypt, also are cautious about
Security Council involvement.
"In view of the overall situation, we regard the possibility of the hauling
of Iran's nuclear case to the Security Council to be weak," Mottaki told Iranian
radio.
"During the past 10 days we have tried to relay our message to all relevant
parties, including the Europeans, about readiness of Iran to negotiate on the
production of nuclear fuel."
Mottaki said he hoped European countries would avoid taking steps that could
only worsen the current situation — an apparent reference to U.S. and European
talk of sanctions.
The United States accuses Iran of trying to secretly build nuclear weapons —
a charge Iran denies. Britain, France and Germany have been trying to persuade
Iran to import nuclear fuel, but Iran has rejected this.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Israeli security experts was in Moscow on
Wednesday to meet with Russia's Security Council and Foreign Ministry in hopes
of winning Russian backing for Security Council referral.
Russia's Interfax news agency said the head of country's nuclear energy
agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, met with the delegation led by Israeli National
Security Chief Giora Eiland.
French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy was scheduled to meet with
Russian officials on Thursday.
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