EU set to back limited Iran sanctions

WORLD / Middle East

EU set to back limited Iran sanctions

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-10-17 17:23

LUXEMBOURG - The European Union was set to back limited United Nations
sanctions against Iran on Tuesday after Tehran spurned conditions for
opening negotiations on its nuclear programme.

Diplomats said the EU's 25 foreign ministers were due to discuss possible
incremental measures targeted initially at individuals and materials
involved in Iranian uranium enrichment activities, which the West
suspects is aimed at making a bomb.

"The most important thing is to have a united response as we showed with
North Korea. We must show Iran that the international community is
completely determined to remain united," European External Relations
Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner told reporters.

"We have shown great patience ... We offered a very attractive package
which could be beneficial for Iran, but up to now we have not received an
acceptance," she said.

Spanish Secretary of State for European Affairs Alberto Navarro said
sanctions would be gradual because Europe, unlike the United States,
needed Iran as an oil supplier.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who wrangled for four months with
Iranian national security chief Ali Larijani in a vain effort to persuade
Tehran to suspend its most sensitive nuclear work, said the door to talks
would remain open.

"I think there is always hope, and I would like it to be possible to
start again, but it is up to Iran now to accept the conditions to start
real negotiations," he said.

After the failure of the EU diplomatic effort, the ministers will say
that the Iranian file must return to the U.N. Security Council, according
to a draft statement.

The statement will express deep concern that Iran has not yet suspended
enrichment activities and say the EU has no choice but to support talks
in the United Nations on measures on the basis of resolution 1696, but
that the door remains open to negotiations.

Security Council resolution 1696 had told Iran to suspend enrichment by
August 31 or face sanctions.

The six major powers that backed the incentives package that Solana
delivered to Iran -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France
and Germany -- are set to start consultations at the United Nations on
Wednesday on a sanctions resolution, diplomats said.

Moscow and Beijing have so far been extremely reticent about any
sanctions, but a European diplomat said they had accepted the principle
of an incremental approach raising pressure.

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