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Six powers agree on Iran incentives

www.chinanews.cn 2006-06-02 09:30:04

Britain's Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett, center, speaks as, from
left, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo, French Foreign Minister
Philippe Douste-Blazy, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, EU
Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana, Germany's Foreign Minister
Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov listen
during a press briefing after a meeting at the British Residence in
Vienna, Thursday June 1, 2006. Six world powers meeting to discuss the
crisis over Iran's nuclear program agreed Thursday on a 'significant'
package of incentives to convince Tehran to halt uranium enrichment,
Beckett said. (Photo: AP)

June 2 - Six world powers agreed Thursday to offer Iran a new choice of
rewards if it gives up suspect nuclear activities or punishment if it
refuses.
"There are two paths ahead," British Foreign Secretary Margaret Becket
said in announcing agreement among the United States, Britain, France,
Germany, Russia and China on a package deal for Iran that carries the
threat of United Nations sanctions.
The package would be on the table for a proposed new round of bargaining
with Tehran over what the West calls a nuclear program that could produce
a bomb.
The U.S., in a major policy shift, agreed this week to join those talks
under certain conditions. It would be the first major public negotiations
between the two countries in more than a quarter century.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with the foreign ministers from
the European nations that led talks with Iran that stalled last year.
Also present were representatives of Russia and China, which might join
in any future talks with Iran.
A short statement issued by foreign ministers from the six powers and the
European Union did not mention economic sanctions �� the punishment or
deterrent favored by the United States and that Iran has tried hard to
avoid.
The powers agreed privately, however, that Iran could face tough U.N.
Security Council sanctions if it fails to give up the enrichment of
uranium and other disputed nuclear activities, U.S. officials said.
Diplomats feared Iran would immediately reject any invitation to bargain
if the threat of sanctions was explicit, officials involved in the
discussions said on condition of anonymity because the seven-party
negotiations were private.
The foreign ministers' statement threatens unspecified "further steps" in
the Security Council.
The group's statement also contained no details of the incentives to be
offered to Iran in the coming days. Diplomats previously have said the
package includes help developing legitimate nuclear power plants and
various economic benefits.
"We are prepared to resume negotiations should Iran resume suspension of
all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities," as previously
required by the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, Becket said.
If Iran returned to the talks stalled since last year, "we would also
suspend action in the Security Council," Becket said.
The Security Council, which can levy mandatory global sanctions and back
its mandates with military force, has been reviewing Iran's case for two
months.
"At this crucial stage, it is very important that none of the sides
involved in the situation makes any sharp movements that would create a
threat to the real prospect of using the chance to reach agreement,"
ITAR-Tass quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as saying before
talks began in Vienna.
Iran insists its nuclear work is peaceful and aimed at developing a new
energy source.
Iran's foreign minister welcomed the idea of direct talks, but rebuffed
the U.S. condition that Tehran must put uranium enrichment on hold before
talks can begin.
"Iran welcomes dialogue under just conditions but won't give up our
rights," the state-run Iranian television quoted Foreign Minister
Manouchehr Mottaki as saying Thursday.
At the White House, President Bush warned that the confrontation would
end up at the U.N. Security Council if Iran continues to enrich uranium.
"If they continue their obstinance, if they continue to say to the world,
`We really don't care what your opinion is,' then the world is going to
act in concert," Bush said.
Bush said he got a "positive response" in a telephone conversation
Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding, "We expect Russia
to participate in the United Nations Security Council. We'll see whether
or not they agree to do that."
Bush also spoke about Iran on Thursday with Chinese President Hu Jintao.
He revealed little about that conversation, saying, "They understood our
strategy."
The shift in U.S. tactics was meant to offer the Iranians a last chance
to avoid punishing sanctions, and to let the United States assert that it
was willing to exhaust every opportunity to resolve the Iranian impasse
without force.
Previous talks among Iran, Britain, France and Germany foundered last
year. European diplomats and others said the United States was partly at
fault, arguing that it alone carries the global weight to force Iran to
bargain in good faith and to make any agreement stick.
The U.S. offer for talks is conditioned on Iran suspending its enrichment
of uranium and related activities and allowing inspections to prove it.
Uranium enrichment can make fuel for nuclear power reactors or the
fissile core of warheads.
European nations and the Security Council have demanded the same thing,
but Iran has refused to comply.

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