France may help Iran make nuclear fuel

France indicated today that it accepts the right of Iran to produce nuclear fuel inside Iranian territories, and with French help, but it set conditions for this.

France said that any proposal to have France help and monitor nuclear fuel production inside Iran would be negotiable if Tehran answers positively to the western proposal.

Talking after Iran's proposal for creation of a consortium to produce enriched uranium in Iran, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said the "new" proposal has been put forward by Iran for the first time.

Mattei said Paris had received the proposal through radio Tuesday morning.

"The proposal can be considered within framework of talks between (Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali) Larijani and (The EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier) Solana and we are waiting Iran's response," said the French Foreign Ministry official.

No response in connection with the proposal for dual suspension has however been received on Iran's part, said Mattei, adding that if Tehran gives positive response to it and suspends uranium enrichment temporarily, one can enter talks on any proposal.

"The priority is now resumption of talks and that depends on Iran's measures for suspension of enrichment; concurrently, the UN Security Council too should suspend the issue of sanctions.

"In that case, Iran would be free to extend any proposal." French radio, `France Info," earlier today quoted the deputy director of Iran's Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammad Saeedi, as suggesting the French consortium idea for uranium enrichment as a way to break a deadlock over Iran's nuclear program.

"To be able to reach a solution, we have just had an idea. We propose that France create a consortium for the production in Iran of enriched uranium," Saeedi said.

"That way, France, through its Eurodif and Areva companies, can monitor our activities in a tangible fashion." Iran's idea comes on the heels of French President Jacques Chirac's suggestion for suspension of UN sanctions threat while further 5+1 Group's negotiations take place.

"I propose that, on the one hand, the six refrain from referring the issue to the Security Council, and that Iran renounce during the negotiation the enrichment of uranium." Mattei said the Group of 5+1 are awaiting Tehran's positive response so as to launch serious talks on the issue.

The proposal too can be discussed after confidence-building by Iran, he added.

Iran's talks with Solana have not yet come to any conclusion but the talks would still continue, he concluded.

High Representative of the European Union Javier Solana said Tuesday that the reported proposal made by Iran on a consortium with France to enrich uranium in Iran was interesting but has to be analyzed in greater detail.

"That is something which we discussed with Dr. Larijani," Solana told a press conference after the informal meeting of the EU defense ministers in Levi, Finland, this afternoon.

Finland currently holds the EU Presidency.

Solana said the proposal will not be a Franco-Iranian initiative but will be part of the talks between Iran and the negotiating team, if negotiations starts.

"This is something that we have to analyze in greater detail. This is an interesting thing but also difficult to put in place. For the moment the French have reacted positively," said Solana.

The EU foreign policy chief said he had 'cordial and constructive' telephone conversation with Larijani Monday night.

"We have still some elements to have to be agreed, but we will continue talking," he added.

The BBC has reported that the deputy director of Iran's atomic energy agency, Mohammad Saeedi, told French radio that a solution to the nuclear issue could be a consortium with France to enrich uranium in Iran.

"That way France... could control in a tangible way our enrichment activities," Mohammad Saeedi, deputy chief of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, told France-Info radio, according to the BBC.

Iran's government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham said yesterday that Iran would not accept suspension of uranium enrichment.

Elham's remarks came as he addressed domestic and foreign reporters at his weekly press conference.

"The issue of suspension of enrichment is not the issue in nuclear talks. President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad has repeatedly stressed that Iran will not accept suspension and will not surrender the nation's inalienable rights."

He said the president has spelled out clearly Iran's stance on the nuclear issue, including suspension of uranium enrichment, and its right to access peaceful nuclear technology has the support of many countries.