Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE= 06/25/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=BUSH / EUROPE IRAN (L)

NUMBER=2-304733

BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS

DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: President Bush and European leaders want Iran to open its nuclear facilities to more inspections. VOA's Scott Stearns reports, the United States and the European Union also agreed to work more closely together to fight international terrorism.

TEXT: President Bush says he expects Iran will agree to additional inspections if the world community gets behind that request from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Following talks with European Union officials, Mr. Bush said Iran is failing to meet its obligations to the world and provide full access to I-A-E-A inspectors.

/// BUSH ACT ////

America and the E-U agree that Iran must cooperate fully with the I-A-E-A. We agree that Iran must sign and comply with an additional protocol giving the I-A-E-A new tools to investigate clandestine nuclear weapons activities. Iran has pledged not to develop nuclear weapons, and the entire international community must hold that regime to its commitments.

/// END ACT ///

If Iran does not agree to further inspections, Mr. Bush says "We will deal with that when they don't."

European Commission President Romano Prodi says the U-S and E-U are committed to verifying that Iran does not use its energy program to build nuclear weapons.

/// PRODI ACT ///

The dialogue with Iran is going on daily and deeply and we push that they accept even the non-planned inspections because we have to be sure that it doesn't constitute a danger to future peace. We have to be absolutely sure.

/// END ACT ///

Seeking to soothe differences over the war in Iraq, Mr. Prodi said "no problem and no enemy can stand against" Europe and the United States when they are united. When they are not, he said "every problem may become a crisis and every enemy a gigantic monster."

They discussed some of those problems Wednesday including Europe's 1998 moratorium on imports of genetically modified food. That decision costs American farmers an estimated 300-million dollars a year in lost corn exports, and the Bush administration is taking the dispute to the World Trade Organization.

They did addressed issues of joint concern, including the fight against international terrorism where Mr. Bush says they agreed on the need for "active interdiction" to stop the illicit trade in weapons of mass destruction.

/// BUSH ACT ///

Both the United States and the E-U are threatened by global terror and we are determined to defeat it. Today we have signed new agreements to increase our legal cooperation in the war on terror and to speed the extradition of terrorists.

/// END ACT ///

The two sides expanded the range of terrorist offenses that qualify for extradition and decided to form joint U-S / E-U investigative teams. They also agreed to work together to strengthen export controls on dangerous materials.

(SIGNED)

NEB/SS/MEM/FC