German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said after a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Thursday that the European troika’s decision to call for an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency to discuss referring Iran to the Security Council “was taken as a last resort, after all means of negotiations with Tehran were exhausted.”
Britain, Germany and France, which have been involved in nuclear negotiations with Iran for two years, called for the emergency meeting of the IAEA’s Council of Governors on Feb. 2.
“No one could blame us for insisting on referring Iran to the Security Council, because we sought dialogue with Iran and presented generous proposals, but over the past 24 months we were acquainted with all Iranian pretexts, including that of dual standards,” Steinmeier said.
He called on Arab countries to avoid using Israel’s nuclear arsenal as a pretext to evade pressuring Iran into abandoning its nuclear program.
“Citing dual standards regarding other countries will not help in anyway,” Steinmeier said.
Egypt, which is a member of the IAEA’s Board of Governors, called for self-restraint and patience over referring Iran to the Security Council.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Ghait said earlier this week his country supports a political settlement of Iran’s nuclear case, but stressed Egypt will permit the rise of a nuclear military power in the Middle East.
Iran sparked Western condemnations, especially from the United States, after it broke U.N. seals on nuclear fuel research centers ten days ago.
