UK: E.U Foreign policy cheif Solana disappointed with Iranian nuclear talks

Chances of averting U.S. pressure for tougher sanctions against Iran appear slimmer after talks described as disappointing by EU chief Javier Solana. The European Union said it was disappointed after talks with Iran on Friday (November 30) seen as a last chance to avert U.S. pressure for tougher international sanctions over Tehran's disputed atomic programme. The absence of a breakthrough at the London talks means six world powers meeting in Paris on Saturday (December 1) will try to agree new penalties to propose to the United Nations, despite differences in their approach to halting Iran's nuclear programme. "I have to admit that after five hours of meetings I expected more. And therefore I am disappointed," EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told reporters, adding he would meet Iran's negotiator Saeed Jalili again before the end of December. Iran, which had earlier vowed to pursue its disputed atomic programme come what may, said it thought the negotiations had been "positive" and that talks would continue. The West says the programme is aimed at building atom bombs and wants Iran to freeze its enrichment of uranium. Iran, a major oil exporter, says enrichment efforts are meant only to produce electricity which it says is an inalienable right. Attempts by the six nations -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- to stall Iran's programme have failed and they vowed to pass a new U.N. Security Council resolution if there was no progress by December. The five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany plan to draft a new resolution imposing wider financial, trade and visa restrictions to increase pressure on Tehran to stop enriching uranium, which can be used in atomic bombs. But the six powers remain at odds over how soon to resort to more United Nations penalties, or how harsh they should be. Russia and China, and to a lesser extent Germany, have close commercial ties with Iran and are likely to tailor their new sanctions proposals accordingly, taking a less hawkish approach than that of the United States, Britain and France. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said late on Thursday that nothing would deflect the Islamic Republic from its pursuit of nuclear technology and that Washington had "lost" in its attempts to stop it. Jalili replaced Ali Larijani as chief nuclear negotiator in October. Close to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he is seen by analysts as signalling a hardening of Iran's position. Iran has barred inspections beyond uranium production sites since its case was referred to the U.N. Security Council in February 2006, fuelling suspicions in the West that it has a covert parallel military nuclear programme. The IAEA sees wide-ranging access to Iran's sites if Iran joins its Additional Protocol, with member states as key to verifying there is no such programme. DW/JRC

ITN Source | December 1, 2007

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