Iran reply on nuclear proposal due in August
Iran-UN, Politics, 6/29/2006

The G-8 foreign ministers expect Iran to respond soon to the proposals set forth on Iran's nuclear program, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Summing up the results of the G-8 ministerial meeting on Thursday, Lavrov said, "Today we've discussed this topic." The Group of Eight pins great hopes on the July 5 meeting between Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani and EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, the Russian minister stressed.

In his words, "We'll assess the situation on the basis of the results of the meeting. We did not discuss anything, which goes beyond the countries' proposals. We hope for a positive response."

US White House Spokesman Tony Snow was asked yesterday that "the German Defense Minister has said that it should be okay for Iran to enrich uranium for civilian purposes. Is this comment at odds with the U.S. position?"

Snow said "The American position has always been that Iran ought to be able to have the right for civilian nuclear development. We have also said -- and this has been the position of the EU3, and I think you need to stick with the EU3 official consultations, as well as the P5 plus one -- that Iran must suspend uranium enrichment-related and reprocessing activities. That has not changed. So you may be able to match up the statements."

Snow added "But our position is that Iran -- there have been a number of offers, for instance, to do enrichment out of country and also to take spent fuel out, as well. There are a number of options out there, but the key provision -- and this is the provision that would allow the Iranians to return to the table -- remains unchanged: They must suspend uranium enrichment-related or reprocessing activities, period."

Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said today referring to the recent threats issued by the "enemies," Rafsanjani said under the ongoing circumstances, the enemies are speaking of economic sanctions or military action against Iran but the noble Iranian nations will never yield to bullying of global arrogance and will resist against them.

Finland's Presidency of the European Union, Erkki Tuomioja, Finnish Foreign Minister told a news conference in Brussels today "We hope that the Iranian answer will be positive and that we would engage - and I would say that this should happen within weeks not months in serious - negotiations with them." "At the moment, we have, what we believe a positive package and we have seen indications from Iran that the Iranians are seriously considering this." "Obviously they would want to discuss before any agreements can be reached and we the EU are prepared to go into more detail in the negotiations." "We have to work on the basis of this initiative and for the time being there is no need to raise any alternative worse scenarios," underlined the Finnish foreign minister.

He stressed that Iran has the right to choose its energy mix and use nuclear energy for peaceful purpose.

"We respect the rights of countries to choose their own energy mix, if they want to include nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

They are free to do so and this also applies to Iran naturally," he added.

Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said on Wednesday that Europe's proposals set a new way for settlement of Iran's nuclear case--that is by holding dialogue rather than issuing threats.

"We welcome this and are seriously looking into the proposals," said Larijani in an interview with reporters after talks with Iraq's former prime minister Ibrahim Jaafari on Wednesday.

Larijani said Iran agrees with the Europeans to remove ambiguities through talks.

"We are also in agreement on the point that ambiguities, problems and misunderstandings should be removed through negotiations; (we believe that) the rest of the issues too should be discussed in the talks," added the Iranian official.

He said that naturally, there are many ambiguities which should be solved through talks.

"We are in contact and talks with the EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana but have not set a specific date for his visit to Iran this week," said Larijani.

He hoped that Solana will visit Iran at the first appropriate time and the talks with him would soon start.

He rejected claims by certain media in connection with Solana's visit.

On Iran's response to European proposals, Larijani said Iran is studying the offers.

"As said earlier, we are working on the proposals and we have raised the issue with Solana too; once the committees have announced the results of their discussions, we will start consultations with them and will speedily follow them." A Washington Post report noted that Iran's foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki today said Iran would give it's reply to the proposal in August.

Previous Stories:
  Iran expects IAEA Board Of Governors to remove nuclear issue   (6/15/2006)
  Iran will repsond after studying the nuclear offer   (6/14/2006)
  EU representative may clear ambiguities in nuclear proposal   (6/13/2006)

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