Brussels, 05/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - Member states have agreed in principle to impose an oil embargo if Iran does not cooperate with the international community over its nuclear programme, European diplomats revealed on Thursday 5 January. “There is agreement in principle to take things forward”, a diplomat told Agence France Presse. “A lot of progress has been made since December”, another source is quoted by Reuters as saying, adding: “The principle of an oil embargo is agreed. It is not being debated any more.”
However, other sources suggest that “there is still work to be done” before the Foreign Affairs Council meets on 30 January, the deadline set by the previous Council for reaching a decision. “A number of details still have to be discussed before we can say that there is an agreement”, according to one of these sources. Discussion will focus on the timescale and arrangements, which will be difficult to put into effect. “There is still disagreement over the timescale”, a diplomat said.
The spokesman for EU High Representative Catherine Ashton stated that the EU was working on sanctions, some of which were energy related, without confirming that agreement had been reached on an oil embargo. He said that discussions were still on-going and that he hoped there would be an agreement before the Council.
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé said that an embargo on Iranian oil could be put in place at the Council. “At that meeting, I hope, we will be in a position to adopt the embargo on exports of Iranian oil. We are working towards that end and things are on the right track”, he declared. He said that “we will have to reassure some of our European partners which receive oil supplies from Iran”, indicating that they must be provided with alternatives. “These alternative solutions exist, so I believe we will achieve what we want by the end of January”, he added.
At the start of December, following publication of the International Atomic Energy Agency's latest report on Iran's nuclear activities, the EU decided to consider possible sanctions against Tehran. Member states were, however, divided over a possible oil embargo, which would affect Greece, Italy, Spain and Belgium, all of which import Iranian oil. In 2010, the EU bought 18% of the Iranian oil sold worldwide.
The United States, which recently beefed up its sanctions, welcomed the agreement as “very good news resulting from much consultation between, the United States and the European countries” and hoped that other countries would follow suit. Russia and China, however, are against an embargo on Iranian oil.
Iran is threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which up to 40% of global oil transport by sea passes, if sanctions are imposed on its oil exports. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, maintained on Thursday 5 January that his country was not worried by possible European Union sanctions against its oil exports. (CG/transl.rt)