Azerbaijan, Baku, March 10 /Trend T.Konyayeva/
Iran 's nuclear program remains a serious concern for the EU and the international community as a whole, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission, Catherine Ashton told in the official statement for the European Parliament.
"Regrettably, the latest IAEA report confirmed Iran's failure to comply with its international obligations," Ashton said.
On February 25, the IAEA issued a regular report which says "Iran has declared to the Agency under its Safeguards Agreement, 16 nuclear facilities and nine locations outside facilities where nuclear material is customarily used (LOFs). The Agency continues to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material at these facilities and LOFs. Notwithstanding, certain of the activities being undertaken by Iran at some of the facilities are contrary to relevant resolutions of the Board of Governors and the Security Council."
The distributed report also reads contrary to the relevant resolutions of the Board of Governors and the Security Council, Iran has not suspended its enrichment related activities in the following declared facilities, which are under Agency safeguards.
Ashton noted both the UN Security Council and the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna have adopted a series of Resolutions requiring Iran to take the steps necessary to build confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear program.
"On the EU side, we remain determined to work towards a diplomatic solution on the basis of our double-track approach, which combines pressure with dialogue," she told. "The objective remains to engage Iran in a phased approach of confidence building, leading to meaningful negotiations on the nuclear program."
According to Ashton, for this purpose at the second meeting in Istanbul she on behalf of the E3+3 presented to Iran proposals for concrete confidence building measures, including an updated fuel supply arrangement for the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR), as well as, other transparency measures.
"Iran's response to the E3+3 group's proposal in Istanbul meeting was disappointing," she told. "It was not ready to discuss our proposals unless we first recognized Iran's "right to enrich uranium". It also spoke about the removal of sanctions."
The second round of talks between Iran and the E3+3 (France, Germany, United Kingdom, Russia, United States and China) countries were held late January, 2011. The previous round of talks on Iran's nuclear program between the E3+3 group and Iran after a 14-month break was conducted in December 2010 in Geneva.
Ashton believes these proposals would bring immediate benefit for both sides and could pave the way for a process to address the existing concerns and gradually build mutual confidence. "And building confidence is what our efforts are all about," she added.
"I understand Iran's wish to see sanctions removed. We would also like to see our talks come to a successful conclusion in which - in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions - all sanctions would disappear. The removal of sanctions is something which would accompany the gradual re-establishment of confidence. And that was the path we were trying to go down," Ashton told.
Western countries, including the U.S., are sure that Iran strives to develop nuclear weapons and call for to prevent this development.
Until now, the UN Security Council adopted six resolutions, four of which are aimed at imposing sanctions against Iran, demanding to abandon uranium enrichment, and two resolutions containing warnings .
The UN Security Council resolution 1929 was adopted in the summer of 2010, as well as additional unilateral sanctions were approved by the U.S. Congress and the FMs of all EU countries, which are mainly directed against the banking, financial and energy sectors of Iran.
As for the "right to enrich", Ashton believes the non-proliferation Treaty is careful balance of rights and of obligations.
"I don't see any virtue in re-writing or interpreting it in a selective way. The first step is for Iran to put itself into full compliance with its obligations," she said.
The high representative also referred to the recent meeting with the new Foreign Minister of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, in Geneva. "That meeting gave me the opportunity to explain to him the efforts we had put into the Istanbul talks and our strong desire for Iran to respond - for the greater security of all of us," Ashton told.
The statement reads, she has also written to Saeed Jalili who led the talks on behalf of Iran to restate the E3+3 group's offer and to invite him to respond. "Dr. Salehi said they are considering their response. I urge them to be positive," Ashton said.
Iranian nuclear program has caused concern since 2003, when the IAEA became aware of its concealed activity. In late 2003, Iran signed the Additional Protocol to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and voluntarily announced about the suspension of uranium enrichment. However, it returned to this activity. Iran insists that as a party to the NPT it has the full right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.