Iran: EU offers 'candy for gold'

2006-05-17 20:06

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has ruled out any idea of halting nuclear fuel work in return for European Union incentives, saying the Europeans were offering "candy for gold".

Britain, France and Germany - the EU's three biggest powers - plan to offer Iran a light-water reactor as part of a package to induce Tehran to freeze a uranium enrichment programme.

Ahmadinejad told a crowd in the central city of Arak: "They say we want to give Iranians incentives but they think they are dealing with a four-year-old, telling him they will give him candies or walnuts and take gold from him in return."

Arak is where Iran is building a heavy-water nuclear reactor, despite opposition from Western countries concerned that the plant's plutonium by-product could be used in warheads.

Ahmadinejad said: "Iran will not accept any suspension or freeze (of nuclear work)."

The United States and its EU allies want Iran to end nuclear fuel activities as a guarantee it is not trying to make atomic weapons. Tehran says the fuel is only for power stations.

Ahmadinejad said pressure could backfire

Of European diplomacy, Ahmadinejad said: "We trusted you three years ago and accepted suspension but this proved to be a bitter experience in Iranian history. We will not be bitten by the same snake twice."

Iran suspended its uranium enrichment work in 2003, as a goodwill gesture while it tried to forge a diplomatic solution to the stand-off in talks with France, Germany and Britain.

The diplomacy failed and Iran resumed work on atomic fuel in August.

Ahmadinejad said pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme could produce adverse reactions: "Don't force governments and nations which are signatories to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to pull out of it."

A spokesperson for the British foreign office said the five permanent members of the United Nations security council, as well as Germany, had delayed a meeting on Iran, scheduled for this week, to allow more time to prepare the EU proposal.

EU does not expect Iran to accept

US undersecretary of state Nicholas Burns said: "The package has not yet been agreed.

"It is under development and we'll be meeting probably next week in Europe to look at it. I'll be going over to London for conversations."

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov urged Iran to respond constructively to proposals to break the nuclear impasse.

UN secretary-general Kofi Annan said he hoped the incentives would pay dividends when diplomacy kicks off again.

Nuclear experts say light-water reactors are harder to use for weapons purposes than heavy-water plants, such as the one under construction in Arak.

The EU trio first proposed offering Iran light-water technology in 2005, after two years of negotiations. The Iranians said the offer lacked specific incentives.

EU diplomats said the new offer would be more specific, partly because they were confident of US support.

But they made clear they saw little prospect that Iran would accept.

- Reuters