RI to help resolve Iranian nuclear row

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 05/11/2006 12:12 PM

Based on the conviction that the Iranian nuclear row can still be resolved through dialog instead of coercion, Indonesia -- the host of the fifth Developing Eight (D-8) -- is still trying to conduct talks with Western countries on one side and Iran on the other to convince them to return to the negotiating table.

Foreign Ministry director for international security and disarmament Hasan Kleib said that the root of the problem was distrust, especially among Western countries, over Iran's intention to develop nuclear power.

""We believe that the problem should be cleared through technical and political means. On the technical track, Iran should let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) examine the country's uranium enrichment project while on the political track Iran should continue dialog with Western countries,' he said.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held talks with Iranian President Mohmoud Ahmadinejad in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Hasan said that actually Iran was willing to engage in confidence building measures by cooperating with the IAEA, and they had discussed the possibility of suspending its uranium enrichment program to gain the trust of the international community.

On the breakdown in negotiations, the U.S., France, and Britain have brought the problem to the UN Security Council. Feeling disappointed, Iran decided to continue with its enrichment program.

Indonesia previously abstained on the proposal by the U.S., France, and Britain at the UN to bring the Iranian nuclear row to the UN Security Council.

Hasan said that because Indonesia abstained during the voting, it could still be flexible as a mediator as both Iran and the Western countries still believed in Indonesia.

Iran announced last month it had successfully enriched uranium. Western countries, especially the United States, have accused Iran of intending to build nuclear weapons through its uranium enrichment program. With the support of Britain and France, the U.S. took the issue to the UN Security Council.

Major powers including the U.S., Britain, Russia, France, China and the European Union, failed to reach an agreement Monday on what kind of sanctions the Security Council should impose on Iran. The U.S. proposed that the sanctions should fall under chapter seven of the UN chapter, which would authorize the use of force but China and Russia rejected the proposal saying that dialog was still possible. The five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany will continue talks next week to decide on the steps to be taken on Iran.

""Indonesia agrees with China and Russia that we don't need to be hasty in imposing sanctions on Iran as peaceful dialog is still possible,"" Hasan said. (JP/Abdul Khalik)

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