|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
    |
|
|
|||
 |
|
||
|
|||
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
European Union Officials say Rafsanjani Victory Crucial in Resolving Iran Nuclear Standoff
A victory by former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in this week’s presidential runoff election is the best hope for a diplomatic settlement of the standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program, some European Union officials said today (see GSN, June 17). “It is extremely important to understand that what is at stake is this process concerning dangerous nuclear materials,” said French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy. “In the past, Mr. Rafsanjani has had a slightly more liberal attitude and we have felt in the last several weeks that there has been an easing of tensions between Iran, the European Union and the international community on this subject,” said Douste-Blazy. However, a victory by the hard-line challenger, Tehran Mayor Mahmood Ahmadinejad, could push out moderate officials such as top nuclear negotiator Hassan Rohani, Agence France-Presse reported. “We’re holding our breath,” one European diplomat close to the EU-Iran talks told AFP. “It does not mean Rafsanjani will be easy to negotiate with, but at least we know he is more or less committed to the negotiating process. If Ahmadinejad is elected, it will be very uncertain what will happen.” “In any case, our position will stay the same,” said another European diplomat. “If Iran decides to break its nuclear commitments, we are going to the (U.N.) Security Council” (Agence France-Presse, June 22).
| ||||||||||
Back to top
