We remain seriously concerned over the proliferation implications of Iran’s advanced nuclear program and we remain united in our commitment to see those implications resolved, the G8 said in a statement during a heads of states summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The group said that it stood fully behind the proposals presented to Tehran on June 6 on behalf of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United States with the support of European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana for a long-term comprehensive agreement with Iran based on cooperation and mutual respect.
We fully support the statement of the Foreign Ministers of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America issued on July 12, Paris, in which the ministers and the High Representative of the European Union expressed their profound disappointment over the absence of any indication at all from the Iranians that Iran is ready to engage seriously on the substance of the above-mentioned proposals, the group said.
Iran has failed to take the steps needed to allow negotiations to begin, specifically the suspension of all enrichment related and reprocessing activities, as required by the IAEA and supported in the United Nations Security Council Presidential Statement. The Ministers therefore decided to return the issue to the United Nations Security Council. We, the Leaders of the G8, fully support this decision and the clear messages it sends to Iran about the choice it must make, it added.
