|
Shammu
|
 |
« on: July 08, 2006, 01:45:17 AM » |
|
Powers join US in seeking prompt Iran answer
Archived Picture - World powers joined US President George W Bush in pressing Iran to respond within weeks rather than months as proposed by Tehran to a call to end its controversial nuclear research, AFP reported.
LONDON - World powers joined US President George W Bush in pressing Iran to respond within weeks rather than months as proposed by Tehran to a call to end its controversial nuclear research, AFP reported.
The new round of diplomatic jostling came after Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said for the first time Wednesday that Tehran would respond to the international plan on the nuclear row within two months.
"We will study the offer and, God willing, will give our opinion at the end of the Mordad," Ahmadinejad said in a speech, referring to the Iranian month that ends on August 22.
The statement prompted immediate telephone consultations between the foreign ministries of Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States, the UN Security Council permanent members, plus Germany over a unified stance to the delay.
Bush reacted first by saying after an EU-US summit in Vienna that Iran was dragging its feet over a "reasonable deal" and that global powers believed an answer should come within weeks."
"It seems like an awful long time for a reasonable proposal," Bush told a press conference after the talks.
"It shouldn't take the Iranians that long to analyze what is a reasonable deal," Bush said. "I said weeks, not months, and I believe that is the view of our partners."
Washington and the European Union further warned in a joint statement that the issue could again return to the UN Security Council, despite Iranian objections, should Tehran fail to join direct talks.
"We have agreed that if Iran does not engage in negotiations, further steps would be taken in the Security Council," the EU-US joint statement said.
"We urge Iran to take this positive path."
Meanwhile Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel said in his capacity as EU president that "time is limited. We should not play with time."
Diplomats say Iran was originally asked to reply by June 29.
The offer, presented to Iran on June 6, involves incentives and multilateral talks if Iran agrees to suspend uranium enrichment, at the center of fears it could acquire nuclear weapons, and cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
But Iran has so far only said it wants fresh negotiations without preconditions, indicating it will not stop enriching uranium.
A joint stance on Iran remains critical amid earlier refusal by Russia and China, who both have strong trade and military ties with Tehran, to use either economic sanctions or force to prompt Iran to halt nuclear research.
The US State Department said the six foreign ministers agreed in phone talks that Iran must accept the "very good offer" quickly because patience from the global powers "isn't unlimited."
"They discussed this latest development," State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said of the six foreign ministry officials. "They all agreed that the P5-plus-Germany has made a very good offer to Iran, and we all urge Iran to accept that proposal."
Ereli said the six foreign ministry officials "reiterated the common view that we said on June 1, we expect a response within weeks, not months. And that was reaffirmed today in the call."
He said world powers expected Iran to respond through European Union foreign affairs chief Javier Solana, who originally made the international offer to Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani.
"We look forward to hearing back from Larijani to Solana, in weeks, not months, about our response," he said.
"Now is the time for Iran to accept this offer. It's not, our patience isn't unlimited," Ereli said.
Iran replied by telling Bush not to rush it into providing an answer to the offer by major world powers over its uranium enrichment programme.
"President Bush cannot and must not be in a rush," said Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on a visit to Rome.
"When (European Union foreign policy chief) Javier Solana gave us his suggestions on June 6 no time limit was set", he told Italian television.
"The only undertaking required from Iran is not to divulge the content of the offer as long as an agreement has not been reached and we respect that commitment," Mottaki said.
The proposal had "many ambiguities. It is right for Iran to study the document seriously and precisely until August 22."
Mottaki's brief visit to Rome included a meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema, who said his country backed the negotiating position of the EU over Iran's nuclear programme and urged Tehran to overcome any reservations about reopening negotiations.
|
