AFP: French President Jacques Chirac said on Friday Europe should seek the imposition of UN Security Council decisions on Iran over Tehran’s refusal to give up its controversial nuclear programme. VIENNA, May 12, 2006 (AFP) – French President Jacques Chirac said on Friday Europe should seek the imposition of UN Security Council decisions on Iran over Tehran’s refusal to give up its controversial nuclear programme.
“Our objective, and one to which France subscribes completely, is that one should be able to impose the decisions taken by the Security Council,” Chirac said on the sidelines of a summit of European Union and Latin American leaders in Vienna.
“The Security Council will make a decision on the International (Atomic Energy) Agency report” into Iran’s nuclear programme,” said Chirac.
“Our concern is that the Security Council be heard and obeyed,” said Chirac, saying that he backed recourse to the Chapter Seven mechanism of the UN charter.
Chapter Seven could provides for a UN resolution allowing for the possible use of sanctions and force if Iran refuses to comply with international community demands on its nuclear ambitions.
“Chapter Seven absolutely does not (automatically) imply imposition of sanctions, nor the recourse to force,” Chirac insisted, while accepting it left open those possibilities.
“One cannot want a coherent and effective world organisation and not be preoccupied regarding what the Security Council decides, that being the only organisation capable of taking decisions,” Chirac said.
The United States and EU powers Britain, France and Germany have as yet failed to convince UN Security Council members China and Russia to accept a resolution that would include a Chapter Seven mention in order to force Iran to suspend nuclear enrichment.
Diplomats from the five Security Council permanent members and Germany are to meet next week in London to examine possible incentives as well as potential sanctions should a breakthrough with Tehran fail to materialise.
