|
Iran Agrees to Suspend Uranium Enrichment
 |
|
A
library photo of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran
|
TEHRAN,
November 15 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Iran has agreed in
a deal with Britain, France and Germany to suspend uranium enrichment
activities pending a longer-term accord comprised of EU incentives and
"objective guarantees" it will not make nuclear weapons,
according to a text of the agreement released Monday, November 15.
“To
build further confidence, Iran has decided, on a voluntary basis, to
continue and extend its suspension to include all enrichment-related
and reprocessing activities,” said the deal, which was agreed to
late Sunday, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
It
said the suspension covers "the manufacture and import of gas
centrifuges and their components; the assembly, installation, testing
or operation of gas centrifuges; work to undertake any plutonium
separation... and all tests or production at any uranium conversion
installation".
“The
suspension will be sustained while negotiations proceed on a mutually
acceptable agreement on long-term arrangements.”
The
text said those talks, carried out by the three European governments
(E3) on behalf of the European Union would begin in the first half of
December.
Peaceful
Purposes
The
agreement will also provide objective guarantees that Iran's nuclear
program is exclusively for peaceful purposes.
“It
will equally provide firm guarantees on nuclear, technological and
economic cooperation and firm commitments on security issues,” it
said.
And
while the text “recognises Iran's rights under the Non-Proliferation
Treaty... without discrimination”, it states that “Iran
reaffirms... it does not and will not seek to acquire nuclear
weapons”.
While
Iran insists it only wants to make fuel for a nuclear reactor to
generate electricity, there are fears that once the fuel cycle has
been mastered the Islamic republic could choose to enrich its uranium
to weapons-grade levels.
Iran
maintains it has the right to enrich uranium under the NPT, but has
said it is open to new mechanisms that provide the international
community with guarantees the process will not be diverted to military
purposes.
The
E3/EU and Iran further confirmed in the agreement their determination
to combat terrorism, including the activities of Al-Qaeda and other
groups such as the MeK (the People's Mujahedeen) Irrespective of
progress on the nuclear issue.
"They
also confirm their continued support for the political process in Iraq
aimed at establishing a constitutionally elected Government."
WTO
Accession
The
agreement further says that Europe’s Big Three will support the
Iranian bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).
“Once
suspension has been verified, the negotiations with the EU on a trade
and cooperation agreement will resume. The E3/EU will actively support
the opening of Iranian accession negotiations at the WTO.”
It
also said the "E3/EU will support the IAEA Director General
inviting Iran to join the Expert Group on Multilateral Approaches to
the Nuclear Fuel Cycle."
Britain,
France and Germany have been spearheading diplomatic efforts to get
Iran to cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and first struck an accord in October
2003.
But
that accord has been under pressure, after Iran agreed to suspend
enrichment but not related activities.
In
September the IAEA's board called
for a wider suspension, and a failure to comply could have
seen Iran referred to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions
-- something the United States has been pushing for.
|
