Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=10/20/2003

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=EUROPE / IRAN (L-O)

NUMBER=2-308858

BYLINE=MICHAEL DRUDGE

DATELINE=LONDON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The foreign ministers of Britain, France, and Germany plan to meet Iranian leaders Tuesday in Tehran to discuss Iran's controversial nuclear program. V-O-A's Michael Drudge has more from London.

TEXT: British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told parliament he will be traveling to Tehran to join French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin and German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer for the nuclear talks.

Mr. Straw said the Europeans will press Iran to fully accept the terms of a resolution approved last month by the governors of the U-N International Atomic Energy Agency.

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That means we shall be seeking full cooperation and transparency to enable the agency to resolve outstanding questions and we shall be pressing the Iranians on key issues raised by the resolution. These include early signature, ratification, and implementation of an additional protocol to Iran's existing safeguards agreement and the suspension of all enrichment and reprocessing activities.

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The trip follows suggestions from Iranian President Mohamed Khatami that his country would dispose of its enriched uranium if it can continue to develop nuclear technology.

Iran faces an October 31st deadline to prove to the U-N nuclear watchdog agency that it is not developing nuclear weapons.

Tehran says its nuclear program is for the peaceful production of energy, and denies U-S accusations that Iran is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons. (SIGNED).

NEB/MWD/MAR/RAE