Iran offered new nuke deal

2006-05-16 18:26

Berlin - The European Union's three biggest powers plan to offer Iran a light-water nuclear reactor as part of a package of incentives if Tehran agrees to freeze its uranium enrichment programme, said EU diplomats on Tuesday.

An EU diplomat familiar with the negotiations on Iran said senior diplomats from the "EU3" - Britain, France and Germany - and the office of EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana would discuss the proposed incentives plan with their United States, Russian and Chinese counterparts in London on Friday.

Deputy spokesperson for the French foreign ministry, Denis Simonneau, said the deal comprised three sections.

Simonneau said: "There is, in fact, a section that deals with civilian nuclear co-operation.

"I will not go into detail about it, for more work has to be done on it. But it is a fact that there are proposals about civilian nuclear co-operation with Iran."

EU 'very surprised' if Tehran accepts

The US and EU accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian atomic energy programme - an allegation Tehran vehemently denies.

Tehran has said it would not accept any EU offer that required it to give up its right to enrich uranium, a right guaranteed by the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

EU diplomats said they would be very surprised if Iran accepted their offer. They said rejection would be seen as confirmation that Tehran's nuclear programme did not solely aim at generating electricity for peaceful ends.

The EU trio first proposed the idea of supporting Iranian efforts to develop light-water technology in an offer they made to Tehran in August 2005.

That offer, which Iran rejected, followed two years of negotiations.

EU has full support of Washington,/b>

At the time, the Iranians said the European offer was too vague and contained no specific carrots.

EU diplomats said the new offer would be much more specific, partly because they now have the full support of Washington to offer Iran a nuclear power plant.

This, they said, will show sceptical countries like Russia and China that the West is not trying to deprive Iran of civilian nuclear energy.

An EU diplomat said: "Last year, Washington was still hesitant about the idea of offering Iran a reactor. But they fully support our plans now.

"Still no one believes this reactor will be built, because Iran will say no."

Russia is currently building a light-water reactor at Bushehr in Iran.

- Reuters