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Annan urges Iran to freeze nuclear plans, talk
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-02-10 09:51
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged Iran on Thursday to freeze its
nuclear activities so negotiations can go on with Russia and European Union
powers over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
Iran has announced it would resume enrichment of nuclear fuel after the
governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency voted last weekend to
report Iran to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear program.
But there has been no sign that it has actually begun to carry out
enrichment-related activity, U.N. diplomats say.
Annan has consistently sought to delay Security Council action on Iran,
hoping to resolve the impasse over Iran's nuclear intentions in Vienna or
through negotiations.
"What is important is that both sides have said negotiations are not dead,
both sides are prepared to talk. I would urge them to continue," Annan told
reporters.
"In the meantime, it will be important that no steps are taken that will
escalate the already tense situation, and I hope Iran will continue to freeze
its activities the way they are now, to allow talks to go forward," he said.
The vote by the Vienna-based U.N. nuclear watchdog called for IAEA
Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei to report to the U.N. Security Council by
March 6 on Iran's response to demands that it suspend its enrichment activities
and better cooperate with the agency.
The IAEA acted at the behest of the United States and European Union, which
say that Iran is intent on developing nuclear arms and that talks with Tehran
are at a dead end.
But Iran and Russia are due to hold talks in Moscow on February 16 on a
Russian proposal to process uranium for Iran's nuclear power stations and China
said this week it felt an international standoff with Iran should be defused
through talks rather than in the Security Council, which can impose punitive
measures on Iran.
Tehran also has expressed an interest in resuming talks with the various
parties but insists it wants only to generate electricity and does not seek
nuclear arms.
Annan also appeared to side with Russia and China -- and against the United
States and EU -- in a dispute over the meaning of last Saturday's IAEA board
vote.
"If the issue were to be referred here to the (Security) Council, I would
work with the member states to find the best way to deal with it," Annan said.
Russia and China insist that despite the IAEA vote, the Iran dossier remains
in Vienna and the Security Council has no green light to launch proceedings
against Tehran. But Washington and the EU say the vote meant the matter is now
before the council as well as the IAEA.
Moscow's U.N. ambassador, Andrei Denisov, said much would depend on what
happened after the February 16 Moscow meeting and further consultations between
the IAEA and Iran.
"We need strong irrefutable evidence that Iran is engaged in atomic weapons,"
Denisov told a news conference. "This is not a play where there are good guys
and bad guys, black and white. We desire to have as much a clear picture as
possible and nobody can do it but the IAEA."
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