EU, Iran hold talks on nuclear issues
14/12/2004 11:22
Germany, Britain and France launched new negotiations with Iran on Monday
in Brussels over nuclear issues.
European Union (EU) foreign and security
policy chief Javier Solana took part in the talks.
Speaking to a press
conference after the EU foreign ministers meeting, Dutch Foreign Minister Benard
Bot said they would talk about "the enrichment and improvement of uranium and
the possibilities for the IAEA to check whether Iran is honoring its
agreements."
"That would mean a deferment of the improvement: Iran must honor
its promises," said Bot, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency.
"It
must also be established that Iran's nuclear program is set up for peaceful
purposes only, otherwise the intensification of the EU-Iran relationship (trade
agreement, political dialogue) cannot go ahead," he added.
However, the
officials would also touch upon other issues like human rights, the struggle
against terrorism and the position of Iran in the Middle East.
"Complete
transparency is vital during negotiations: (EU) Council and (European)
Commission must give the same signals to Teheran. Only in this way can we
perform effectively," said Bot.
On Monday, the EU Council also issued a
notice, saying that a ministerial level talks between Solana, Germany, Britain,
France and Iran will be held on Dec. 17 in Brussels.
Xinhua
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