Brussels, 02/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - In a common resolution adopted on Thursday 2 February, the European Parliament regrets the “ongoing refusal of China and Russia in the UN Security Council to support sanctions against Iran” and strongly condemns the Iranian threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, which could lead to a regional conflict and reprisals from the international community. It also recognises that “dialogue and cooperation with Turkey can be important with a view to reaching a settlement”.
MEPs also give their support to the new European restrictive measures and to the Council “commitment to work for a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue”. They invite the Iranian authorities to give a favourable answer to the offer of talks and to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Two sanctions to be negotiated. The day before, during the plenary debate, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton said the EU was committed to keeping up pressure on Iran at every moment and at every level in order to bring that country back to the negotiating table. She said Tehran had still not answered the proposals made.
Supporting sanctions while expressing concern about the effect that such sanctions would have on the population, MEPs called for diplomatic efforts to be continued. Tara Cronberg (Greens/EFA, Finland) said: “Sanctions are in force. Now we must negotiate. But how can we open talks? Iranians say they are ready to negotiate but they are not going to stop at pre-requirements. Negotiation must now be accepted, without preconditions”. She went on to call for security in Iran “as it is difficult to take a country to the negotiating table when there is the threat of war hanging over it”. José Ignacio Salafranca (EPP, Spain) said sanctions must allow dialogue so that Iran can negotiate, so that it can negotiate with the IAEA and in order to do away with the “beating of war drums”. “One must act fast”, he said, calling for Europe to approach its allies such as Japan and India. Maria Muniz de Urquiza (S&D, Spain) urged the Union to underline the “diplomatic chapter”, recalling that her group rules out the military option.
Marietje Shaake (ALDE, Netherlands) called for an EU arm to be opened in Iran as a “link”. She went on to say that it is vital to highlight the importance of substantive dialogue for which direct diplomatic relations between the EU and Iran are the privileged route.
Cornelia Ernst (GUE, Germany) was, for her part, opposed to sanctions. She explained that sanctions are not likely to rekindle trust and confidence, as one needs to be naïve to think that concessions on the part of Iran can be gained by stepping up the pressure.
The day when the resolution was adopted by the European Parliament, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, expressed the hope that China would call on Iran, its ally against whom it refuses to take sanctions, to conduct an “open and transparent” nuclear programme. (CG/transl.jl)