Austria, which currently holds the EUs rotating Presidency, also condemned hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejads recent comments against Israel, in which he called for the Jewish state to be wiped of the map.
In a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Tuesday, Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik confirmed that positive development of EU-Iran relations depended on action by Tehran to effectively address all the EU’s areas of concern.
Plassnik urged Iran to reverse its recent resumption of uranium enrichment-related activities at its site in Natanz.
We do not question Iran’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. However, the history of Iran’s programme and the many unanswered questions have raised serious doubts as to the exclusively peaceful nature of this programme. Iran’s action to limit IAEA access to her facilities is a further blow to international confidence, she said.
The resumption by Iran of enrichment-related activities will impact negatively on our overall relationship, Plassnik added.
