EU3 warns of action by UN Security Council on Iran nuclear issue
9/3/2006 14:25
The three countries representing the European Union (EU) -- France,
Germany and Britain -- warned on Wednesday that an action by the United Nation's
Security Council would be inevitable unless Iran changes its policy on nuclear
issue.
"We believe that the time has come for the UN Security Council to
reinforce the authority of the IAEA," said British ambassador to the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Peter Jenkins, who made the statement
on behalf of the EU3 powers.
IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei presented his
long-awaited report on Iran's nuclear program to the watchdog's board of
governors on Wednesday. The matter now will be handed over to the Security
Council under a Feb. 4 IAEA vote spearheaded by Washington and the EU3.
"We
expect that the Security Council will now take up consideration of the reports
and resolutions it has received from the (IAEA) Board," Jenkins told the IAEA
Board of Governors' meeting in Geneva.
"The Security Council will decide on
appropriate action to reinforce the authority of the Agency so as to clarify the
nature of Iran's program and convince Iran of the necessity to implement the
measures requested by the Board," he noted.
"This is not, however, the end of
diplomacy, and we remained to work for a negotiated solution," said the British
diplomat.
For the past three years, the EU3 powers, representing the EU, has
been trying to persuade Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment program. The
latest talks, only three days before the crucial IAEA Board of Governors'
meeting, ended in Vienna without any breakthrough.
Xinhua
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