Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Washington Times
April 17, 2008
Pg. 13
Tehran open to new talks
By Chris Buckley, Reuters News Agency
SHANGHAI — Six-nation talks looking to revive nuclear negotiations with Iran yesterday fell short of agreement on a package to present to Tehran, while Iran’s president said he was open to talks within limits.
China had been avoiding the spotlight in the dispute, but met in Shanghai with the other four permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — the United States, Russia, Britain and France — plus Germany and a representative from the European Union.
Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei emerged from several hours of bargaining to say the diplomats failed to reach full agreement on a new plan to offer Iran, which rejected a 2006 offer of negotiating incentives.
“We can say we agreed on the main content of a plan to restart negotiations, but not all the problems have been resolved,” Mr. He told reporters.
The diplomats were to report back to their government ministers in a bid to reach agreement, Mr. He said. “When the plan to restart negotiations is referred to Iran, we will urge Iran to respond positively,” he added.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad earlier told a rally that Iran was ready for negotiations on nuclear and other issues provided that talks do not violate his country’s rights.
“The Iranian nation is after talks and negotiations but negotiations in a logical and just framework and in line with the fundamental rights of nations,” Mr. Ahmadinejad said in his speech, which was broadcast on state television.
He said Iran would not retreat from its rights “one iota.”
Tehran insists it has the right to enrich uranium, which it says is for a peaceful energy program. The United States, Western European powers and their supporters fear that Iran’s enrichment could give it the means to make nuclear weapons.
The Security Council has passed three resolutions with sanctions pressing Iran to give international inspectors more information about nuclear work and stop the enrichment.
Iran refuses to halt or limit its nuclear work in exchange for the incentives offered in 2006, and says it will negotiate only with the U.N. watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.
China has won widespread praise for hosting six-nation talks on North Korea’s nuclear program and helping to broker agreement between Pyongyang and Washington on initial nuclear disarmament steps in return for economic and diplomatic rewards, but has not been influential enough to bring Iran into accord with wary Western powers.
Beijing also must tend to its own major energy and economic stakes in Iran, Chinese analysts said.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke by telephone with the Chinese about the Shanghai meeting, her spokesman Sean McCormack said, but he gave no details.
In Vienna, Austria, the European Union asked Iran to join the Convention on Nuclear Safety — a move that could increase knowledge about its disputed atomic energy plans.
The European Union made the request at a closed safety review meeting of dozens of nations with nuclear programs.
April 17, 2008
Pg. 13
Tehran open to new talks
By Chris Buckley, Reuters News Agency
SHANGHAI — Six-nation talks looking to revive nuclear negotiations with Iran yesterday fell short of agreement on a package to present to Tehran, while Iran’s president said he was open to talks within limits.
China had been avoiding the spotlight in the dispute, but met in Shanghai with the other four permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — the United States, Russia, Britain and France — plus Germany and a representative from the European Union.
Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei emerged from several hours of bargaining to say the diplomats failed to reach full agreement on a new plan to offer Iran, which rejected a 2006 offer of negotiating incentives.
“We can say we agreed on the main content of a plan to restart negotiations, but not all the problems have been resolved,” Mr. He told reporters.
The diplomats were to report back to their government ministers in a bid to reach agreement, Mr. He said. “When the plan to restart negotiations is referred to Iran, we will urge Iran to respond positively,” he added.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad earlier told a rally that Iran was ready for negotiations on nuclear and other issues provided that talks do not violate his country’s rights.
“The Iranian nation is after talks and negotiations but negotiations in a logical and just framework and in line with the fundamental rights of nations,” Mr. Ahmadinejad said in his speech, which was broadcast on state television.
He said Iran would not retreat from its rights “one iota.”
Tehran insists it has the right to enrich uranium, which it says is for a peaceful energy program. The United States, Western European powers and their supporters fear that Iran’s enrichment could give it the means to make nuclear weapons.
The Security Council has passed three resolutions with sanctions pressing Iran to give international inspectors more information about nuclear work and stop the enrichment.
Iran refuses to halt or limit its nuclear work in exchange for the incentives offered in 2006, and says it will negotiate only with the U.N. watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.
China has won widespread praise for hosting six-nation talks on North Korea’s nuclear program and helping to broker agreement between Pyongyang and Washington on initial nuclear disarmament steps in return for economic and diplomatic rewards, but has not been influential enough to bring Iran into accord with wary Western powers.
Beijing also must tend to its own major energy and economic stakes in Iran, Chinese analysts said.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke by telephone with the Chinese about the Shanghai meeting, her spokesman Sean McCormack said, but he gave no details.
In Vienna, Austria, the European Union asked Iran to join the Convention on Nuclear Safety — a move that could increase knowledge about its disputed atomic energy plans.
The European Union made the request at a closed safety review meeting of dozens of nations with nuclear programs.