International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General
Mohamed El Baradei on Monday called Iran to cooperate with the
international community to solve its disputed nuclear issue
peacefully.
"I would continue to urge Iran to provide the cooperation needed
to resolve these issues," ElBaradei told a meeting of the board of
governors of the UN nuclear watchdog which opened in Vienna on
Monday.
"I remain convinced that the way forward lies through dialogue
and mutual accommodation," he added.
In the most recent efforts, the United States and some European
countries are lobbying other nations to join them in urging Iran to
begin talks on the nuclear issue.
"We are... encouraging all board members to make firm statements
to call on Iran" to negotiate on the six-nation proposal, according
to a document outlining the US position.
Last week, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana
presented a package of incentives, agreed by five UN Security
Council permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the
United States -- and Germany, in exchange for Iran's suspension of
uranium enrichment.
The US document said the five permanent Security Council members
and Germany "have agreed to pursue measures, including at the UN
Security Council, (to) pressure the Iranian regime to change
course" in the event that Tehran declines the offer.
The full suspension of enrichment-related and reprocessing
activities was "essential if Iran is to succeed in building
international confidence." the document said.
Another document, issued by Britain, France and Germany, also
warned that "the Security Council will have no choice but to
increase the pressure on Iran" if Tehran remained defiant.
"The most important step for building international confidence
will be for Iran to refrain from all enrichment-related and
reprocessing activities until international confidence is
restored," it said.
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Iran said on Monday ahead of the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) meeting that it would not compromise on its right to enrich
uranium.
"Iran's view on the nuclear fuel cycle has been announced... we
have obtained this technology, it is our obvious right and we do
not negotiate over our obvious nuclear rights," Iranian government
spokesman Gholamhossein Elham said in Tehran.
Iran's envoy to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, had earlier
urged the body to avoid "politically motivated statements that
could spoil the environment" for a diplomatic solution.
During the week-long meeting, the UN nuclear watchdog is to
debate Iran but pass no resolutions in an attempt to avoid any
diplomatic upset while Iran is considering the proposal to resolve
the nuclear dispute, diplomats said.
(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2006)
