Iran rejects EU conditions for talks
Foreign Desk Report
TEHRAN—Iran said on Tuesday it was willing to resume unconditional talks
with the European Union over its nuclear program, which Washington says
is a cover to make atomic bombs.
Talks between the European Union and Iran collapsed in August after
Tehran restarted uranium conversion, suspended under a November 2004
deal with France, Britain and Germany. “Iran has no problem with
resuming talks. But it will not accept conditional talks under
pressure,” Asefi told a weekly news conference.
The European Union has said it was up to Iran to suspend conversion
again and cooperate fully with the IAEA for talks to resume. Washington
and the EU are trying to persuade the governing board of the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to send Iran to the U.N.
Security Council in November for violating international nuclear
obligations.
They say Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, but Tehran insists its
nuclear program is dedicated solely to generating electricity. Asefi
said his country needed to see Europe’s goodwill, demanding more
practical and meaningful steps from the EU.
“Instead of sending mixed signals, the EU should practically show it is
interested in talks,” he said. Ali Larijani, secretary-general of the
Supreme National Security Council, said on Monday Tehran would review
its membership of the Non-Proliferation Treaty if its case was reported
to the council. Hardline parliamentarian Mehdi Kouchakzadeh said on
Tuesday talks with the Europeans were a “waste of time”.
“Iranian officials should not wait for the EU’s shallow promises any
more,” he told the official IRNA news agency. “We should also start
uranium enrichment in Natanz and think about ending snap (U.N.)
inspections”.
Iran has so far refrained from resuming work at its Natanz uranium
enrichment facility. Hardline MPs are considering a bill that would
oblige the government to stop implementing the Non-Proliferation
Treaty’s Additional Protocol, which allows snap U.N. checks of nuclear
facilities.
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