Brussels, 07/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - In Geneva on Tuesday, Germans, French and British (EU-3), who wish to persuade Iran to transform suspension of its uranium enrichment programme into definitive cessation of the programme, will begin a session of in camera talks with the Iranians, the third such session since the Paris agreement on 15 November last.
Western diplomats at the seat of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna do not, however, expect the new negotiation session at expert level to achieve concrete results. In an internal report on discussions held in January, Reuters states, the discontent of Europeans who consider Iran's current stance is unacceptable and who demand that Iran's installations be dismantled as an “objective guarantee” that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only (EUROPE 28 January p 6). Furthermore, western diplomats told the press last week that the United States informed the EU of Teheran's failure to comply with the Paris agreement of 15 November last. Iran is said to have recently submitted centrifuges for uranium enrichment to quality controls on high precision parts such as bolts, valves and taps. Finally, several declarations by Iranian leaders or negotiators clearly state that Teheran does not intend to give up its nuclear programme indefinitely. An Iranian negotiator in Vienna cited by Reuters, Sirus Naseri, pointed out that Iran had “decided to become a nuclear electricity exporter”, adding that it hoped “to become an active player in this field”. The main Iranian discussion partner on the nuclear issue, Hassan Rossani, again warned Washington about the possible use of force to make Teheran submit to its will. If Iran is the target of a military strike it will retaliate and step up its atomic research, he said. Rossani also explained to Reuters that the West had nothing to propose to Iran that could persuade it to give up its nuclear programme. “I sincerely hope the Iranians will seize the opportunity given them by the Europeans”, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday in Berlin, speaking before German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. Ms Rice's current tour of Europe and the Middle East (in preparation for the visit of president bush to Brussels on 22 February) will be partly geared to the Iranian issue. Although she confirmed that Washington supports the European diplomatic initiative, she did not, however, conceal the fact that a military operation was not to be ruled out in the long run, thus expressing the scepticism felt by many of the members of the US Administration who believe the European diplomatic approach could never be successful and that it will be necessary in time to substitute it with United Nations Security Council sanctions. On Tuesday in Paris Ms Rice will be meeting Mr Chirac to discuss this issue.