Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

Iran suspending nuclear enrichment till July

Monday, June 06, 2005

TEHRAN: Iran injected some breathing space into the international crisis over its nuclear program on Sunday, saying it would extend its suspension of uranium enrichment until the end of July to give European negotiators time to prepare a proposal acceptable to Tehran.

The announcement, reported by the official Islamic Republic News Agency, was the first indication by Iran that it would continue the temporary freeze on enriching uranium and followed talks last month with European negotiators in which Iran agreed to review a European Union proposal for a new round of talks in the summer. “After reviewing and discussing the Europeans’ proposal, Iran has announced its agreement. Europeans have time up to the end of July to prepare details of their proposal,” Ali Aghamohammadi, a spokesman for Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told the news agency.

“To make Iran’s nuclear facilities active in a proper way, both sides should work toward providing guarantees,” he was quoted as saying.

The announcement provides a temporary respite in the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme. Six months of talks with Europe have made no progress on the key point of contention – Iran’s insistence on the right to enrich uranium and European opposition to such plans.

Aghamohammadi warned against wasting the opportunity to strike a deal. “The two sides should have offers in line with the main goal of the Paris agreement; that is objective guarantees from our side and solid agreements from the European side,” he said.

France, Britain and Germany, acting on behalf of the 25-nation EU, want Tehran to abandon its enrichment activities in exchange for economic aid, technical support and backing for Iran’s efforts to join the World Trade Organisation.

The EU Union has threatened to take Iran to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions if it resumes uranium reprocessing.

Tehran says it won’t give up its right to enrichment but is prepared to offer guarantees that it is not seeking to build nuclear weapons. Iran suspended enrichment last November under international pressure led by the United States. Iran maintains its program is peaceful and only aimed at generating electricity as permitted under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. The EU and the United States fear the program is being used to develop nuclear weapons in violation of the treaty.

Aghamohammadi said Hasan Rowhani, Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, would begin a one-week tour to Yemen, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Monday to discuss the progress of the nuclear talks. Yemen is a member of the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the other three countries are members of the Non Aligned Movement. Iran hopes the four nations will support its nuclear program. ap


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