AFP: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday urged
Iran to abide by a nuclear suspension agreement signed in Paris
and not to engage in nuclear enrichment activities.
Speaking after a one-day meeting of foreign ministers of the Group
of Eight (G8) world powers in London, Rice said: “We call upon the Iranians to adhere to the Paris agreement to its letter and to not engage in any activities associated with the fuel cycle.” AFP
LONDON – US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday urged Iran to abide by a nuclear suspension agreement signed in Paris and not to engage in nuclear enrichment activities.
Speaking after a one-day meeting of foreign ministers of the Group of Eight (G8) world powers in London, Rice said: “We call upon the Iranians to adhere to the Paris agreement to its letter and to not engage in any activities associated with the fuel cycle.”
Washington’s top diplomat said the United States supported the work of the so-called EU3 negotiators of Britain, France and Germany in trying to secure a guarantee from Iran that it is not making nuclear weapons.
“We’re very supportive of what the EU3 is doing,” she told a news conference, noting that Washington had also put forward proposals to Tehran, such as its recent U-turn on approving Iran’s application to join the World Trade Organisation.
The United States and the European Union jointly urged Iran on Monday to freeze uranium enrichment as well as reprocessing that can make plutonium, also a potential bomb material.
Washington would like to see Iran summoned before the UN Security Council, which could impose tough international sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
Iran claims that its nuclear activity is purely non-military and that it has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, but Washington says Tehran is using its civilian program to mask covert atomic weapons work.
The EU3 have promised to submit a proposal to Iran by later July or early August on incentives they are willing to provide in return for Iran guaranteeing it will not produce nuclear weapons.
