Europeans to Press Iran on Nuclear Arms

Unsuccessfully, it seems:

"Iran sticks to nuclear enrichment


Iran denies it wants to build nuclear weapons
Iran has rejected a European offer of trade concessions and nuclear technology in return for a suspension of its uranium enrichment activities.
An Iranian spokesman said the proposal from Britain, France and Germany was unbalanced and unacceptable.

The UN's nuclear agency, the IAEA, has given Iran until the end of November to suspend its enrichment programme.

Iran says the programme is purely for peaceful purposes, but the USA accuses it of developing nuclear weapons.

"The European proposal is their preliminary proposition and is not definitive, but it is unbalanced," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi said.

He told reporters that the negotiations were continuing, and would resume on Wednesday with the Iranian part putting forward its own counterproposals.


UN sanction threat

The deal has been put forward by three European countries: Britain, France and Germany.

It asks Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities in return for incentives and alternative nuclear technology such as a light-water reactor, according to leaked reports.

Closed-door talks between the three European countries and Iran, took place earlier this week in Vienna, in what an Iranian spokesman described as a good atmosphere.

In his comments to reporters on Sunday, Hamid Reza Assefi said that a lasting or unlimited suspension of nuclear enrichment activities would not be acceptable to Iran.

But he underlined that this was not the issue in the negotiations.

European diplomats have said that if Iran rejects the deal, most EU countries would back US proposals for the UN Security Council to impose economic sanctions on Iran.

So far, two years of investigation by the IAEA have turned up no hard evidence of an Iranian weapons programme. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3948613.stm

To make my position clear in one sentence:
This cruel ,inhuman regime shouldn't have nuclear bombs or just nuclear technology.

The other side:

Al Jazeera reports: http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=5338


Iran: European nuclear demands 'unacceptable'
10/23/2004 12:30:00 PM GMT

A senior Iranian MP said Saturday that the European offer to suspend all uranium enrichment activities in return for valuable nuclear technology was 'unacceptable'.

?The European proposal is an excessive demand that is contrary to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and unacceptable,? Alaeddin Brujerdi, head of parliament?s national security and foreign policy committee, told Iranian Ressalat newspaper.

Britain, France and Germany proposed to Iran an offer to receive valuable nuclear technology if Tehran halts all activities related to the enrichment of uranium, according to a document prepared by the Europeans.

Thursday's meeting was seen as Iran?s last opportunity before the November 25 deadline set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

According to the offer, Iran would receive technology including a light-water reactor, which would produce less fissionable material than the heavy-water reactor Tehran is planning to construct.

The United States accuses Iran of covertly developing nuclear weapons and wants the IAEA, which had been investigating U.S. allegations that Iran has a secret nuclear arms program, to send Iran?s file to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

Iran denies the U.S. claims and insists that it has a right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.

Europe, Iran to meet again next week

Europe's 'Big Trio' are expected to meet with Iranian officials next week to hear Tehran's response to their nuclear offer, diplomats said Friday.

In Berlin, Foreign Ministry spokesman Walter Lindner said that Germany wanted Iran to be given every available chance to resume talks with Europe until November 25.

"Yes, it will be in Vienna, probably in mid-week," a diplomat familiar with the negotiations said.

He added that the meeting had a tough start as the Iranians were "aggressive. They were a little bit recriminatory saying 'you let us down, you betrayed us."

The three European countries had reached a deal with Iran in October 2003 to freeze uranium enrichment in return for receiving technology transfers.

But the agreement has soured with the Europeans demanding Iran to suspend all enrichment activities, including making centrifuges and the feed gas for the centrifuges which refine the uranium. Iran says that such support activities were not included in the deal.

One diplomat said that the Europeans had presented their four-page offer "and pressed for full suspension."

"Iran's response was that the proposal was unbalanced and that they would only agree to a temporary suspension since they would do nothing that would cut off their right to enrich uranium," the diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

The diplomat added that the Iranians were expected to come up with a counter-proposal next week, which might call for them to reap the incentives offered "the moment they say yes to suspension, rather than waiting for a long-term agreement to be worked out."

Progress?

Iran nuclear 'agreement' welcomed


Iran faces the threat of sanctions if it does not halt its nuclear plans
Reports of a preliminary deal between Iran, the UK, France and Germany over Iran's nuclear programme have been given a cautious welcome.
The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog said the deal was very tentative but he hoped it would lead to the suspension of uranium enrichment in Iran.

Javier Solana, foreign policy chief for the European Union, said an agreement with Iran seemed "pretty close".

Diplomats have said sticking points may be over the scope of the suspension.

My feeling today is that we are pretty close to having an agreement

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana
Details of the accord reached in Paris at the weekend have not been released.

Hossein Mousavian, head of the Iranian delegation in Paris, earlier said fundamental principles had been agreed in the talks.

Europe wants Iran to suspend enrichment of uranium in return for a trade deal, and an opportunity to buy nuclear fuel.

Javier Solana told Reuters news agency: "Progress has been made and we are now waiting for the final response from Iran.

"It's very difficult to give a definition of how close we are but my feeling today is that we are pretty close to having an agreement... let's hope for developments in the coming hours, days."....

Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3993153.stm

Perhaps if the efforts of Britain, France & Germany are sucessful, and Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program can be nipped in the bud, a future invasion by a certain superpower may be avoided? I wish the diplomats the best of luck that this can be resolved peacefully.

Indeed.

Top story if it's true, latest from the BBC:


Iran reportedly agrees to suspend uranium enrichment programme.