IRAN POSTPONES EU DISCUSSIONS BY A DAY
By Slobodan Lekic
Associated Press Writer
AP
Wednesday July 5, 2006 1:01 PM
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) – Iran has postponed its talks with the European
Union on a package of incentives designed to defuse the standoff over
Tehran’s atomic program by a day, the EU said Wednesday.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who had been scheduled to
meet Wednesday with Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani,
said he was surprised by the move.
"I had made it clear to the Iranians and to Dr. Larijani that we want
to proceed rapidly to examine together the ideas I put to him early
last month," he said in a statement.
He added that Larijani had assured him they would meet in Brussels
on Thursday.
There was no immediate explanation as to what had caused the delay
over what could be a crucial round of talks on the package put forward
by the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.
In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki confirmed
there would be no talks Wednesday, but gave no reason or a new date.
"Today there will be no negotiations between Larijani and Solana,"
Mottaki told the official Islamic Republic News Agency on the sidelines
of a ceremony to welcome the president of Armenia to Iran.
The offer, delivered to Tehran by Solana early last month, includes
incentives for Iran such as nuclear expertise and reactors if it
accepts international oversight of its disputed nuclear program.
Iranian government officials have insisted they need to clear up
"ambiguities" contained in the package, and have brushed aside demands
that they respond by July 12, when foreign ministers of the five
permanent U.N. Security Council nations and Germany consult in Paris.
Earlier, EU officials said they did not anticipate Larijani to formally
respond to the offer, but only to seek clarification of several points
of the package – and perhaps to come up with a counterproposal.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Iran to accept
the package, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair also pushed for
a quick reply.
Tehran repeatedly has asserted that its nuclear program, which includes
uranium enrichment, is peaceful and aimed at generating power.
But the U.S., Israel and the EU fear the research program is a cover
for the development of nuclear weapons.
Western diplomats have increased the pressure, saying they would
restart efforts to punish Iran through a possible Security Council
sanctions unless Tehran stops its nuclear activities and agrees to
talks by July 12.
Work on a Security Council resolution was suspended May 3 to allow the
six powers to draw up the plan of perks if Iran agrees to a long-term
moratorium on enrichment – or punishments that include the threat of
selective U.N. sanctions if it does not.
Possible U.N.-mandated sanctions include a visa ban on government
officials, freezing assets, blocking financial transactions by
government figures and those involved in the country’s nuclear program,
an arms embargo and a blockade on the shipping of refined oil products
to Iran.