No Breakthrough in Iran-EU Nuclear Negotiations

Diplomats from France, Germany and the United Kingdom concluded another round of talks with their Iranian counterparts today without reaching an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear activities, Reuters reported (see GSN, March 22).

Iran continues to reject European Union demands that it permanently end its uranium enrichment program, senior Iranian negotiator Sirus Naseri said after the meeting in Paris.

“This is not something we are prepared to consider. However, as you know the Europeans have a view on that,” Naseri said.

He added that a new round of discussions was likely to take place soon and that the Iranian side did not want the process to stall.

“There will be a further discussion within the next few weeks,” he said. “Time is of the essence.”

The Europeans would not compromise on the question of uranium enrichment after receiving U.S. backing of their effort, a European diplomat had said today prior to the talks.

“We both have our entrenched positions,” the diplomat said. “With the Americans on board, the EU three couldn’t move if they wanted to” (Louis Charbonneau, Reuters, March 23).

Prior to the meeting today, an Iranian official had said the talks must culminate in a compromise allowing Tehran to resume uranium enrichment, Agence France-Presse reported.

“In today’s negotiations it is expected that we reach an understanding about those firm and objective guarantees and the issue of resuming enrichment for the fuel cycle,” Ali Agha Mohammadi, spokesman for the Supreme National Security Council, told state radio.

“If this does not happen, naturally it will be the end of the negotiations and we will return to our ordinary state and resume enrichment,” he added (Agence France-Presse/Turkish Press, March 23).

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said no one is planning military action against Iran over its nuclear program, Agence France-Presse reported yesterday.

“Let’s just pursue the diplomatic path for the moment. No one is talking about anything else at the moment,” Blair told the British monthly Muslim News in an interview to be published Friday (Agence France-Presse/IranMania.com, March 22).

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