EU gives Iran extra time to clarify ambiguity on nuclear response
3/9/2006 10:31
The European Union will give Iran extra time, probably two weeks, to
clarify ambiguity on its nuclear response to a package of incentives, local
media reported yesterday.
The decision was made as the 25 EU foreign
ministers discussed Iran's nuclear issue in Lappeenranta, Finland, on Saturday,
two days after the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA), reported Iran had failed to meet the UN's deadline of Aug. 31 to halt
uranium enrichment.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana will hold talks
with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani early next week in a bid to
clarify ambiguity on Iran's nuclear response to the offer of incentives by the
world's six major powers.
In its response to the offer by Britain, China,
France, Russia, the United States and Germany, Iran refused to stop enrichment
but said was ready for more talks.
Reuters quoted Slovenian Foreign Minister
Dimitrij Rupel as saying that the foreign ministers gave Solana two weeks for
his clarification talks.
However, Solana told reporters after the two-day EU
foreign ministers' meeting that there was no deadline.
But he said at the
same time that "I hope that it will be very short. We don't need many
meetings."
Diplomats said the EU ministers wanted to give diplomacy another
chance before any sanctions were slapped on Iran, although Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Saturday that Iran would not give up its right to
nuclear technology.
The EU foreign ministers will meet in Brussels on Sept.
15 on the nuclear standoff, when Solana will report back to them.
The six
major powers, whose package of incentives has failed to persuade Iran to halt
enrichment, will meet in Berlin, Germany, next Thursday to discuss the way
forward on Iran's nuclear issue.
The United States has accused Iran of
developing nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, a
charge repeatedly denied by Tehran.
Iran insists that its nuclear program is
aimed at generating power to meet surging domestic demand.
Xinhua
|
