United Nations Secretary-General Ban Kim-moon urged Iran on
Tuesday to comply with the Security Council resolutions.
Every UN member country is obliged to fully comply with Security
Council resolutions.
Hopefully, Iran will respond to Ban's words.
The Security Council resolution adopted on March 24 asks the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to report back on whether
Iran has suspended enrichment activities. It set a 60-day deadline
for Iran's compliance. On Tuesday, two IAEA inspectors arrived in
Iran to visit its uranium enrichment plant.
The previous day, Iran announced that it is enriching uranium in
industrial quantities with the operation of 3,000 centrifuges,
nearly 10 times as many as previously declared. Gholam Reza
Aghazadeh, head of Iran's atomic energy organization, said that
Iran aims to increase the number to 50,000 operating
centrifuges.
The announcement has provoked both dismay and skepticism from
the international community.
Iran has been criticized for defying repeated requests from the
Security Council to stop the enrichment process.
It claims that the fuel will be used for energy and for
"expansion of peace and stability", adding that the goal of
"progress" for Iran is "irreversible".
Confrontation between Iran and the international community will
benefit no one.
The international community is committed to seeking a negotiated
solution to the Iran nuclear issue. The goal of the negotiations is
to reach a comprehensive agreement with Iran, based on mutual
respect. They would re-establish international confidence in the
exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program.
The statement the Security Council permanent members issued
after the March 24 resolution recognizes Iran's rights under the
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) to develop research,
production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in
accordance with its NPT obligations.
Iran should show the world how it will address the international
community's concerns when its legitimate interests are taken into
account.
It is hoped that Iran and the international community will find
a mutually acceptable path.
(China Daily April 12, 2007)
