French FM Says EU Still Want Iran Nuclear Talks

Paul Carrel, Reuters:

European powers are still keen to talk to Iran about its sensitive nuclear programme despite calling off an Aug 31. negotiating meeting, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said on Wednesday.

Britain, France and Germany have called off next week's negotiations on proposals they made to Iran earlier this month because Tehran has resumed some nuclear work in breach of a promise to freeze it while talks lasted, France said on Tuesday.

Douste-Blazy said the trio, acting on behalf of the European Union, were not slamming the door on Iran, which the West suspects may be taking the preliminary steps towards making atomic weapons. READ MORE

"We are suspending the negotiations," he told France Inter radio. "But at the same time, we think it is still possible to talk to them ... There is no reason to close the door on Iran."

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, has called on Iran to halt sensitive atomic work and its head Mohamed ElBaradei is to report on Iran's activities on September 3.

"Until the last minute, we hope to be able to talk to them," Douste-Blazy said. "If they don't want to, if they decide to take nuclear (steps) for military reasons, we will know on September 3 because Mr ElBaradei ... will give us his report."

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told the official IRNA news agency that Tehran also wanted to keep talking, but would not end its nuclear work.

"Iran has announced from the outset that it seeks the settlement of the issue through negotiations," he said.

"By negotiation, Iran does not mean simply holding talks. We still believe negotiations should restore and guarantee Iran's right to have access to peaceful nuclear technology."

If Iran continues to defy international pressure, Europe and the United States are likely to press the IAEA to refer Iran's case to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.

The EU and the United States suspect Iran of secretly trying to build nuclear weapons. Iran says it wants nuclear technology only to cope with booming electricity demand, not to make nuclear bombs.

Earlier this month the EU trio offered Tehran a package of economic, technical and political incentives in exchange for a permanent suspension of Iranian efforts to make its own nuclear fuel.

Iran rejected the proposals, which also envisaged holding the August 31 talks, and angered the European Union and the United States by resuming uranium conversion at its Isfahan plant on August 8.

A senior Iranian negotiator said on Tuesday the decision to restart Isfahan would not be reversed but Iran was open to talks with the EU on resuming the most sensitive part of the nuclear fuel cycle -- uranium enrichment -- at its facility in Natanz.