Brussels, 22/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - With negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme resuming between Iran and the E3+3 (Germany, France, United Kingdom and China, United States, Russia) in Almaty (Kazakhstan) on 26 February, the international community made its concerns known on 22 February about Tehran beginning to install more modern centrifuges on its uranium enrichment site at Natanz, according to a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Stating that “Iran continues to accumulate enriched uranium at 20% and 5%, as well as the expansion of its enrichment capacity, including through the installation of advanced centrifuges”, the spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton underlined on 22 February that this “is in violation of a series of resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and the IAEA, and further aggravates existing concerns on the nature of the Iranian nuclear programme”. He added that the EU “fully” supports IAEA efforts and calls on Iran to engage more constructively with the IAEA. He reiterated that there is also “an urgent need for Iran to engage more seriously and flexibly in upcoming discussions with the E3+3”.
The United Kingdom and France consider that the installation of the centrifuges is “very worrying”. In the opinion of Alistair Burt, the British parliamentary under secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs, this is another sign that Iran has no intention of providing the assurance needed by the international community that its nuclear programme is for purely peaceful purposes. He said that the timing of the installation - just before the meeting of the IAEA governing board and the negotiations in Almaty - “concerns and disappoints” London.
“Although we are waiting for Iran to make tangible gestures showing its resolve to engage in cooperation and respect of its obligations, it continues to intensify its sensitive activities”, said Philippe Lalliot, the spokesperson for the French minister of foreign affairs. He believed that Tehran “is making one more step in the wrong direction”.
The United States underlined on 21 February that, if the installation is confirmed, it would be “another provocative step”, “a further escalation and a continuing violation of Iran's obligations”.
On 13 February, the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), Fereydoun Abbassi Davani, had announced that the installation of the new, more advanced, centrifuges had begun but this was only confirmed on 21 February by the IAEA. According to the IAEA's report, “on 6 February 2013, the agency observed that Iran had started the installation of IR-2m centrifuges” at Natanz. “This is the first time that centrifuges more advanced than the IR-1 have been installed”, on this site, according to the IAEA. Iran says that its nuclear activities are purely for civil purposes. (CG/transl.fl)