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Major powers judge Iran's nuclear offer insufficient: EU

11 September 2009, 18:57 CET
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(BRUSSELS) - The six major powers negotiating with Tehran over its nuclear programme judge the latest proposals from Iran to be insufficient and are to seek an urgent meeting, an EU official said Friday.

Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States reached agreement in a telephone conference of officials, said Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for the European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

She was speaking two days after Tehran delivered a new package of proposals to the six world powers to help resolve the stalemate over its atomic drive which the West believes could be aimed at acquiring nuclear weapons.

While the details of those proposals have not been published, Western diplomats and capitals complained that the nuclear issue had been practically ignored.

The world powers have given Tehran a late September deadline to begin negotiations or face more sanctions.

The urgent meeting with Iran could take the form of talks between Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and Solana, who regularly represents the six powers.

"We are in contact with Dr Jalili's office to arrange a meeting at the earliest possible opportunity," Solana said in a statement.

His spokeswoman Gallach told AFP that the six negotiating powers agree that the Iranian document "does not answer the nuclear questions."

They will continue to examine the statement and are always ready for "substantive negotiations," with Iran, she added.

Western nations are calling on Iran to halt its uranium enrichment drive which they suspect is for making atomic weapons.

Tehran denies the charges and says its nuclear programme has peaceful goals.

The United States has said the new offers from Iran are "not really responsive" to concerns about its nuclear programme, dampening hopes for new talks aimed at breaking a three-year impasse.

Tehran is already under three sets of UN sanctions and European diplomats said Friday that the EU could consider introducing more unilateral sanctions if the UN Security Council cannot agree to do so.

Europe and others envisage adopting fresh sanctions if the impasse persists, but are aware that reluctance from veto-wielding UN Security Council nations Russia and China could hamper this happening on a global basis.

A European diplomat said the idea of the EU introducing sanctions was growing, even though some countries like Sweden and those with economic interests in Iran or positions closer to Moscow would prefer doing so only under the UN umbrella.

The EU has already unilaterally imposed sanctions against countries such as Myanmar and Zimbabwe.

Three sets of international sanctions have been adopted against Iran in 2005-2007.

Among the extra measures envisaged by the West are an embargo on refined oil exports to Iran which has oil reserves but not refining capacity.


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