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Iran was pressured to accept a comprehensive nuclear proposal submitted on Friday by the European Union (EU), demanding Tehran give up uranium enrichment activities.
The proposal was delivered by ambassadors of Britain, France and Germany to Tehran. The EU trio have been negotiating with Iran over its controversial nuclear program since Iran suspended all enrichment-related activities in November 2004.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi said that Iran would study the proposal and give response in two days.
Tehran threatened on Monday to resume work at a uranium conversion plant near the central city of Isfahan under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as the EU trio failed to present the proposal by an Aug. 1 deadline.
The EU trio promised to offer Iran a package of economic, political and technological incentives by early August to persuade Iran to abandon right to enrich uranium, which could be used to make atomic bombs.
In reaction to Iran's threat, the EU warned that restarting the enrichment-related activities would lead to referring Iran's nuclear case to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions, and called for an emergency meeting of the IAEA Board of Governorsto warn Tehran against resuming suspended work.
However, the EU eased tension by promising to submit the proposal ahead of the scheduled date of Aug. 7.
The text of the proposal, revealed by Iran's state media, recognized Iran's right to develop nuclear fuel cycle under the Non-Proliferation Treaty but urges Iran to "be supplied with the necessary fuel rather than go down the route of developing its own cycle".
"As Iran will have an assured supply of fuel over the coming years, it will be able to provide the confidence needed by making a binding commitment not to pursue fuel cycle activities other than the construction and operation of light water power and research reactors", said a summary of the EU proposal.
As what has been expected, Iran's demand to continue uranium enrichment program which Tehran insists is intended for power generation was rejected by the EU.
Iran's official IRNA news agency said the proposal showed that the EU recognized Iran's right to develop peaceful nuclear technology but urged Tehran not to exercise its right.
Hossein Mousavian, a senior Iranian nuclear negotiator, said Iran would restart the facility that converts uranium ore to gas, a precursor of enriching uranium into fuel, regardless of the EU proposal.
Soon after the 34-page document was handed over to Tehran, the EU, the United States and the IAEA exerted pressures on the Islamic Republic to accept the proposal and give up uranium enrichment activities.
French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy urged Tehran to "hear the voice of reason" and to retreat from the plan of resuming uranium conversion activities.
"Iran's nuclear case will certainly be referred to the UN Security Council (if Tehran does not give up the resumption)," Douste-Blazy said in an interview with Europe 1 radio.
The EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and spokesman of the EU executive commission Stefaan de Rynck urged Iran to study what the European countries had proposed and give its reply positively.
Meanwhile, the IAEA announced its Board of Governors would hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday at the request of the EU trio to discuss Iran's planned resumption of sensitive nuclear work.
The United States, which accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the veil of a civilian nuclear program, also voiced its support for the EU proposal. Acting State Department spokesman Tom Casey urged Iran to ponder over the EU suggestion positively.
"We back the EU's efforts and their proposal to exploit diplomatic ways to solve the issue," Casey said.
(Xinhua News Agency August 6, 2005)
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