EU Divided Ahead of Iran Nuke Talks

Louis Charbonneau, Reuters:

Signs of a split between the European Union's three biggest powers have emerged on the eve of nuclear talks with Iran, with Germany opposing British and French preparations to take action against Tehran at the United Nations, European diplomats said on Tuesday. READ MORE

The foreign ministers of France, Britain and Germany meet with Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Hassan Rohani, on Wednesday in Geneva to press Tehran to maintain a freeze of activities that could be used to develop nuclear weapons.

The trio warned Rohani earlier this month that resuming any activities related to uranium enrichment -- a process of purifying fuel for nuclear power plants or weapons -- would prompt them to refer the case to the U.N. Security Council for possible economic sanctions.

European diplomats close to the talks told Reuters on condition of anonymity that French and British officials have already begun preparatory work on a proposal to refer Iran to the council at the June meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency if Tehran restarts any enrichment-related work.

Germany, a major trade partner of Iran, supports the EU position that Tehran must terminate its enrichment program.

But it does not like the idea of an automatic referral if the Iranians resume enrichment-related activities, all of which Iran suspended in November under a deal struck in Paris with the EU trio, or EU3.

"Germany's position is still cessation (of enrichment) but it's hesitating on the second step -- Security Council referral," a diplomat from an EU3 country told Reuters. "Berlin doesn't want any ultimatums or automatic referrals. That is where Germany differs from France and Britain."

Sharing Washington's suspicions that Iran's nuclear program is a front to develop weapons, the EU trio has offered Iran economic and political incentives if it gives up its enrichment program permanently. But Iran refuses to abandon it and has expressed frustration at the slow pace of talks with the EU.

EU3 WILL HAVE UNIFIED FRONT

Despite Germany's dislike of an ultimatum for Iran, EU diplomats familiar with the German position said the trio would present a unified front at the Geneva talks as they all attempt to pressure the Iranians to back down from threats to resume work at a uranium processing plant at Isfahan.

Earlier this year, EU3 diplomats said French President Jacques Chirac had pressured his negotiators to soften their stance on Iran, but they said the French team has maintained its position that Tehran must give up its enrichment program.

Iran has so far held off from officially notifying the IAEA of its intention to resume work at Isfahan, but Tehran insists the decision has been taken and it is just a matter of time.

In order to prevent the talks from collapsing, EU diplomats said France, Britain and Germany could show flexibility over a proposal that Russia enrich uranium for Iran temporarily.

David Albright, a former U.N. weapons inspector and director of a U.S. think-tank, said Germany, with its high unemployment rate and sluggish economy, has strong reasons to hesitate about a Security Council referral that could lead to sanctions.

"The problem for Germany is that if there are sanctions, they take a bad hit at a bad time," Albright said.

Germany is the biggest exporter to Iran. In 2003, German exports to Iran were worth 2.7 billion euros, according to the German Foreign Ministry Web site.

Albright added that Iran would be wise to strike a deal now before Germany holds early elections in the fall, when conservatives are expected to replace Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats.

"I think they would get a better deal from (Foreign Minister Joschka) Fischer and Schroeder than from a different government," Albright said.

He said the conservative Christian Democrats would likely take a harder line on Iran's nuclear program to help mend ties with Washington, which were damaged by Schroeder's strong opposition to the war in Iraq.