Brussels, 31/08/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 31 August, the French minister for foreign affairs, Laurent Fabius, regretted that Iran “has not moved” on the nuclear issue and said that it was necessary to strengthen sanctions. “Iran hasn't moved on its position. Sanctions must be strengthened and at the same time Iran must make a gesture”, Fabius said on French radio, EUROPE 1. “I only believe deeds. For the moment, the deeds observed are not in the direction” required by the international community, he said.
High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton urged Iran “to fully cooperate” with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) “on the outstanding issues” and recalled the full support of the EU for the efforts by the IAEA. “Iran has to show more seriousness and flexibility to address the concerns of the international community by responding positively to the E3+3 (Germany, France, UK and China, USA, Russia) initial confidence building proposal which is aimed at comprehensively addressing the key concerns on 20% enrichment”, said her spokesperson. He said that uranium enrichment at 20% and 5%, just like installing additional capacity to produce enriched uranium, are “provocative activities [which] are in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions and contribute to the tensions in the region”.
The IAEA said on Thursday that Tehran had doubled its uranium enrichment capacity on its Fordo site. The last meeting between the IAEA and Iran on 24 August had no concrete result and, according to the IAEA, its access to the Parchin site is refused, which Tehran denies. (CG/transl.fl)