Friday

29th Mar 2024

EU ready to offer Iran a nuclear reactor

The EU is considering adding a nuclear reactor to its offer on sharing advanced nuclear technology with Iran in return for Tehran to stop uranium enrichment, while the Islamic Republic continues to say it will reject anything that requires Iran to stop the process.

"The EU3 and Solana are planning an offer of a European light-water reactor to Iran in return for a suspension of its enrichment programme," an EU diplomat told Reuters.

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The EU3 – France, Germany and the UK – and EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, are set to discuss the proposed plan with their Chinese, Russian and US counterparts in London on Friday.

China has already said it welcomes the EU's plan to offer incentives to Iran to resolve the nuclear dispute. And Iran has repeatedly said it is enriching uranium for the country's increasing energy demand.

A light-water reactor would help this energy demand and is considered less likely to be misused for nuclear proliferation than the heavy-water facility Iran is currently building and expects to be ready in 2009.

\"Illogical and unacceptable\"

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Monday (15 May) rejected the principle behind the European package requiring Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment in exchange for support on a civilian nuclear programme.

He added, however, that Tehran would welcome a solution that recognized the Islamic Republic's right to produce nuclear fuel under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

"Any demand for suspension of, or halt to, [our] peaceful nuclear activities is illogical and unacceptable and will undoubtedly be rejected," Mr Motaki said during a televised speech according to press reports.

Iran's hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has also repeatedly said he will reject any new EU offer requiring the Islamic republic to halt uranium enrichment.

The EU continues to offer sweeteners while maintaining the threat of an UN security resolution in the background, something which Russia and China are reluctant to endorse.

On Monday (15 May) Mr Solana said the EU could help with "the best and most sophisticated technology" for civilian nuclear use, if it really was the case that Tehran's aim was to produce energy only.

Speaking on behalf of the EU, Austrian foreign minister Ursula Plassnik said the bloc is "committed to a diplomatic solution."

"The intent is not to push Iran into further isolation," she added

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EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has left Iran after having met Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki and the country's main nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, in Tehran for two hours to present a new nuclear package.

US to join Europe in Iran nuclear talks

Signalling a major change in US policy towards Iran, Washington has said it will join the EU in direct talks with Tehran if the country suspends its controversial nuclear enrichment programme.

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Iran has declared it is ready to resume negotiations over its nuclear programme with the European Union's negotiating troika - Germany, France and the UK - but says the US must "change its behaviour" before Tehran lends an ear to Washington.

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