Iran seriously considering nuclear offer, Annan says

GENEVA – UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said yesterday that Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki had told him Tehran was seriously considering an offer of incentives aimed at defusing a row over its nuclear programme.

The United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany have offered Iran incentives, including access to advanced civilian nuclear technology, but say Iran must first suspend enrichment before any discussions can start. “They are considering the package very, very seriously,” Annan told a news conference in Geneva after talks with Mottaki.US President George W Bush said on Wednesday in Vienna that Iran was taking too long to respond to the offer of incentives to halt nuclear work that the West says could lead to atomic weapons, and urged it to reply within weeks.Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that Tehran would respond to the proposal by August 22, but the six powers want Iran to reply within weeks.Ahmadinejad derided foes of Iran’s nuclear work as mentally disturbed, ignoring a fresh plea by Annan for all sides involved in the dispute to cool their rhetoric.The West believes Iran wants to make highly enriched uranium that could be used in atomic bombs.Tehran says it only wants to make low-level enriched fuel used in nuclear power stations.Annan said that the question of timing came up in his talks with Mottaki, but no specific dates were mentioned.Annan said he did not think that any answer would come from the Iranians before the Group of Eight major industrial powers meets in St Petersburg July 15-17.He noted that Iran’s position was that its interest in nuclear energy was purely for “peaceful purposes”.”I have stressed with Iranian leaders, including Mr.Mottaki, that it is very much in their interest to convince the world of that by cooperating fully with the IAEA,” he said, referring to the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency.China urged Iran yesterday to respond to the incentives.”China hopes Iran can actively respond to the efforts of the international community,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a news conference.”The early resumption of talks is the aspiration of the international community.”Japan said it would take part if the world community imposed sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme but added that it was too soon to be talking about such action.Japan’s Foreign Minister Taro Aso told Reuters in an interview that he had urged Iranian officials to seriously consider the incentives, saying the offer was supported by the G8 and other developed nations.”It is not constructive to talk about sanctions now, before they reply,” Aso said.”But it is very much an option.Japan would not fail to join if everyone took concerted action.”- Nampa-Reuters”They are considering the package very, very seriously,” Annan told a news conference in Geneva after talks with Mottaki.US President George W Bush said on Wednesday in Vienna that Iran was taking too long to respond to the offer of incentives to halt nuclear work that the West says could lead to atomic weapons, and urged it to reply within weeks.Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that Tehran would respond to the proposal by August 22, but the six powers want Iran to reply within weeks.Ahmadinejad derided foes of Iran’s nuclear work as mentally disturbed, ignoring a fresh plea by Annan for all sides involved in the dispute to cool their rhetoric.The West believes Iran wants to make highly enriched uranium that could be used in atomic bombs.Tehran says it only wants to make low-level enriched fuel used in nuclear power stations.Annan said that the question of timing came up in his talks with Mottaki, but no specific dates were mentioned.Annan said he did not think that any answer would come from the Iranians before the Group of Eight major industrial powers meets in St Petersburg July 15-17.He noted that Iran’s position was that its interest in nuclear energy was purely for “peaceful purposes”.”I have stressed with Iranian leaders, including Mr.Mottaki, that it is very much in their interest to convince the world of that by cooperating fully with the IAEA,” he said, referring to the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency.China urged Iran yesterday to respond to the incentives.”China hopes Iran can actively respond to the efforts of the international community,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a news conference.”The early resumption of talks is the aspiration of the international community.”Japan said it would take part if the world community imposed sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme but added that it was too soon to be talking about such action.Japan’s Foreign Minister Taro Aso told Reuters in an interview that he had urged Iranian officials to seriously consider the incentives, saying the offer was supported by the G8 and other developed nations.”It is not constructive to talk about sanctions now, before they reply,” Aso said.”But it is very much an option.Japan would not fail to join if everyone took concerted action.”- Nampa-Reuters