Brussels, 16/11/2004 (Agence Europe) - "Potentially", the agreement on Iran's nuclear programme is the "start of a new chapter" in EU-Iran relations, and negotiations on a Trade and Cooperation Agreement should be "resumed as soon as suspension (of the programme) is verified", Javier Solana, High Representative for CFSP, says in a declaration. After following through the talks held between France, Germany and the United Kingdom, on one side, and Iran on the other, and which came to an end on Sunday (yesterday's EUROPE, p.5), Mr Solana warned: "It is however only the start. We now need to work rapidly to produce a solid long-term agreement. This should on one hand provide lasting confidence in the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme and on the other bring concrete results in the area of trade, technology exchange and security, as well as in the nuclear dimension".
According to the terms of the agreement signed with France, Germany and the United Kingdom with the support of the High Representative (called "E3/EU" in the agreement), Iran restates that it does not and will not seek to acquire nuclear weapons. According to the text of the agreement, with an aim to building further confidence, Iran decided on a voluntary basis (and E3/EU recognises that this is a "voluntary confidence-building measure and not a legal obligation") to extend its suspension to include all enrichment related and reprocessing activities, and specifically: the manufacture and import of gas centrifuges; work to undertake any plutonium separation, or to construct or operate any plutonium separation installation; and all tests or production at any uranium conversion installation. The IAEA will verify this suspension, to be sustained while negotiations proceed on a mutually acceptable agreement on long-term arrangements. The E3/EU has decided to start negotiations on such an agreement, which will provide "objective guarantees that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes" and "firm guarantees on nuclear, technological and economic cooperation and firm commitments on security issues". A steering committee will meet in the first half of December 2004 and set up working groups on political and security issues, technology and cooperation, as well as nuclear issues. Three months later, the committee will meet again to hear the reports of working groups and move ahead with projects and/or measures that can be implemented in advance of an overall agreement. The text states that "once suspension has been verified, the negotiations with the EU on a Trade and Cooperation Agreement will resume", and that the "E3/EU will actively support the opening of Iranian accession negotiations at the WTO". It also specifies that: "Irrespective of progress on the nuclear issue, the E3/EU and Iran confirm their determination to combat terrorism, including the activities of Al Qa'ida and other terrorist groups such as the MeK".