Tehran on Saturday ruled out freezing its uranium enrichment
program, casting doubt over the value of talks between Iran and
six world powers less then an hour after they started.
The talks -- with the U.S. in attendance for the first time --
had raised expectations of possible compromise on a formula under
which Iran would agree to stop expanding its enrichment
activities. In exchange, the six powers -- including the five
permanent UN Security Council members -- would hold off on
passing new UN sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
But the comments from Keyvan Imani, a member of the Iranian
delegation, appeared to indicate that Tehran was not prepared to
budge on enrichment -- at least going into the talks.
"Suspension -- there is no chance for that," he told reporters
gathered in the courtyard of Geneva's ornate City Hall, the venue
of the negotiations.
The presence of U.S. Undersecretary of State William Burns at
the talks -- the first instance of the Americans attending such
meetings -- had led to hopes of compromise.
The enrichment issue is key because the activity can produce
either fuel for nuclear power stations or the material used in
the fissile core of warheads. Iran has defied three sets of UN
sanctions demanding it cease its program, saying it has a right to its peaceful uses under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
But there is growing concern the Islamic Republic might want
to build nuclear weapons instead.
Recent Iranian statements suggest Tehran is looking to improve
ties with the United States, with officials speaking positively
of deliberations by the U.S. administration to open an interests
section -- an informal diplomatic presence -- in Tehran after
closing its embassy decades ago.
Although the U.S. says the talks focus only on the nuclear
issue, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Friday
they could also result in agreements to open a U.S. interest-
protection bureau and have direct flights between the two
nations.
U.S. interests in Iran are now represented by the Swiss
Embassy in Tehran.
Iran and the United States broke off diplomatic relations
after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and hostage crisis at the U.S.
Embassy in Tehran. Official contacts between the two countries
are extremely rare.
Imani said Tehran had not yet received a proposal from the
U.S. on opening a representation but would "study it positively"
if it did.
But he downplayed the presence of Burns - although the
Americans had previously said they would not talk with the
Iranians on nuclear issues unless Tehran was ready to stop all
enrichment activity.
"He is (just) a member of the delegation" of the six countries
engaging Iran on the nuclear issue, he said.
He also denied that the "freeze-for-freeze" formula -- a stop
to Iranian enrichment growth in exchange for no new UN sanctions
-- was formally on the agenda of the Geneva talks, saying the two
sides were meeting to discuss common points of their diverging
plans to ease nuclear tensions.
The United States and its five partners -- Britain, France,
China, Russia and Germany -- remain committed to getting a full
halt to Iranian enrichment.
Still, Burns' decision to attend the Geneva talks shows that
Washington may accept "freeze-for-freeze" -- something less than
full suspension -- at least as a first step.
"Freeze-for-freeze" envisions a six-week commitment from both
sides. Preliminary talks meant to lead to formal nuclear
negotiations would start, Iran could continue enrichment but only
at its present level, and the U.S. and its allies would stop pushing for new UN sanctions.
If this results in the start of formal talks, the Iranians
would stop all enrichment temporarily. Those talks, in turn, are
meant to secure Tehran's commitment for an indefinite ban on
enrichment. (****)
