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Paper Comments on Russian, Western Stance on Iran's Nuclear File

Posted on: Thursday, 10 November 2005, 09:00 CST

Text of commentary by Mehdi Tajik, entitled: "A coalition between the European troika with Russia over Iran's nuclear file." Published by Iranian newspaper E'temad website on 10 November

Political desk: Not for the first time during the past few weeks Moscow has been turned into the centre of developments regarding Iran's nuclear file. The heads of the Russian and British foreign policy establishments, together with some influential members of the European Union, gathered together yesterday at the Kremlin and discussed new ways of dealing with the atomic file of the Islamic Republic of Iran after the plan for the resumption of talks between Iran and Europe produced no results.

Russia which had been regarded as a supporter of Iran's nuclear file in the past is under pressure from Europe and America that want Iran to stop all activities connected with uranium enrichment. In this connection, the Russian news agency Novosti reported: "The officials in charge of the EU foreign policy are trying to persuade Moscow to form a united front for controlling nuclear technology in Iran."

After meeting with his Russian counterpart, the British foreign minister once again referred to the option of referring Iran's file to the UN Security Council. He said: "If Iran does not live up to her international commitments about nuclear activities, referring her file to the UN Security Council would remain an option."

At the same time, in an unprecedented agreement with the EU troika, after meeting with Straw, the Russian foreign minister said: "There is no distance between the stances of the two sides over Iran." [Sergey Viktorovich] Lavrov's position in cooperating with the West over Iran's nuclear program is adopted under the circumstances when the time for both sides involved in Iran's nuclear file is coming to an end, and when various diplomats are trying to form the final lobbies on this issue as soon as possible.

On the other hand, after Ali Larijani's proposal for the resumption of talks with the West proved ineffective, those who take the nuclear decisions in Iran have once again put the need to lift the suspension of voluntary measures on their agenda. The Majlis is also due to debate the relevant draft resolution in its open session next Sunday.

According to a report by ISNA, Hamid Reza Hajibaba'i, a member of the presidium of the Majlis, told ISNA: "If the nuclear file of the Islamic Republic is reported or referred to the UN Security Council, the government is duty-bound to stop the voluntary and legally non- binding measures it has taken. It must resume its scientific, research and executive programs in order to safeguard the legitimate rights of the Iranian nation as set out in the comprehensive agreements of the Non-Proliferation Treaty."

At the same time, according to various reports and the remarks of the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the past few weeks the Islamic Republic of Iran has provided various facilities for the inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] to inspect some military sites, such as Parchin. Therefore, the draft resolution by the Majlis would mean putting an end to the cooperation in connection with nuclear protocols and Iran's new policy towards the IAEA.

In this connection, Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, has once again stressed Iran's right to have access to uranium enrichment. He said: "Iran will never give up her right to enrich uranium." According to Western observers, the stance adopted by the Iranian diplomatic team, alongside the efforts of the West to form a united and solid front against the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic of Iran, will make the situation in the November meeting of the IAEA board of governors even more complicated than it is. It will make sure that those in charge of foreign policy of those countries would have very busy days ahead of them.

Consequently, the complete and total insistence of the two sides involved with Iran's nuclear file on their stances can be regarded as the failure of diplomatic efforts, which will put a question mark in front of all the achievements of those involved in those talks from all these countries.

Source: BBC Monitoring Middle East

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