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Europeans still want Iran nuclear talks, says France

Posted on: Wednesday, 24 August 2005, 07:33 CDT

By Paul Carrel

PARIS (Reuters) - European powers are still keen to talk to Iran about its sensitive nuclear program despite calling off an Aug 31. negotiating meeting, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said on Wednesday.

Britain, France and Germany have called off next week's negotiations on proposals they made to Iran earlier this month because Tehran has resumed some nuclear work in breach of a promise to freeze it while talks lasted, France said on Tuesday.

Douste-Blazy said the trio, acting on behalf of the European Union, were not slamming the door on Iran, which the West suspects may be taking the preliminary steps toward making atomic weapons.

"We are suspending the negotiations," he told France Inter radio. "But at the same time, we think it is still possible to talk to them ... There is no reason to close the door on Iran."

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, has called on Iran to halt sensitive atomic work and its head Mohamed ElBaradei is to report on Iran's activities on September 3.

"Until the last minute, we hope to be able to talk to them," Douste-Blazy said. "If they don't want to, if they decide to take nuclear (steps) for military reasons, we will know on September 3 because Mr ElBaradei ... will give us his report."

The European Union and the United States suspect Iran of secretly trying to build nuclear weapons. Iran says it wants nuclear technology only to cope with booming electricity demand, not to make nuclear bombs.

U.S. CONCERNED

In Washington, the State Department said the United States remained concerned about Tehran's nuclear program despite reported findings by scientists that bomb-grade uranium traces found in Iran came from contaminated Pakistani equipment.

Spokesman Sean McCormack said on Tuesday the contamination issue was "one part of this overall set of questions that not just the United States has, but the rest of the world has about Iran's nuclear program."

A report by a panel of scientists from the United States, Russia, France, Japan and Britain will be shared with IAEA board members early next month, the Washington Post reported.

The Post said on Tuesday the report would support Iran's claim that the traces of highly enriched uranium came from contaminated centrifuges imported from Pakistan.

The Bush administration had pointed to the material as evidence Iran was making bomb-grade ingredients, the paper said.

McCormack said Washington had other "unresolved concerns outside of the issue of the contaminated centrifuges," including Iran's dealings with "clandestine nuclear procurement networks."

He also voiced U.S. support for the EU trio's decision to call off the August 31 negotiations with Iran.

In Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told the official IRNA news agency that Tehran wanted to keep talking, but would not end its nuclear work.

"By negotiation, Iran does not mean simply holding talks. We still believe negotiations should restore and guarantee Iran's right to have access to peaceful nuclear technology," he said.

If Iran continues to defy international pressure, Europe and the United States are likely to press the IAEA to refer Iran's case to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.

Earlier this month the EU trio offered Tehran a package of economic, technical and political incentives in exchange for a permanent suspension of Iranian efforts to make nuclear fuel.

Iran rejected the proposals, which also envisaged holding the August 31 talks, and angered the EU and the United States by resuming uranium conversion at its Isfahan plant on August 8.

Source: REUTERS

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