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21 October 2003

White House Welcomes European Efforts on Iranian Non-Proliferation

White House Report, Oct. 21: Iran

Asked to comment on Iran's announcement October 21 that it has agreed, after talks with European foreign ministers, to accept international demands concerning its nuclear programs, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said "[W]e very much welcome the efforts by the British, German and French foreign ministers to obtain a commitment of full compliance by Iran with its IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] and non-proliferation obligations.

"If Iran does sign and implement the [IAEA] Additional Protocol, cooperate fully with the IAEA, and end its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities, it would be a positive step in the right direction. Full compliance by Iran will now be essential."

Iran made the announcement following a meeting in Tehran between the three foreign ministers and high level Iranian officials.

The IAEA "Additional Protocol" encompasses additional nuclear safeguards measures aimed at strengthening the IAEA's safeguards system and improving its ability to detect undeclared nuclear activity through such means as unscheduled inspections.

"[T]he proof of the value of today's agreement will depend not just on the words in the communique, but above all, on the implementation of what's agreed," McClellan said, noting that Britain's Foreign Secretary Jack Straw had said essentially the same thing earlier.

McClellan pointed out that it was President Bush who originally urged action by the international community to address the issue of Iranian nuclear proliferation, and said the United States has "been in close contact" with the Europeans on this issue.

McClellan made his statements to the press in Singapore October 21, as President Bush continued a visit to Asia and Australia.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=October&x=20031021182135ssor0.9483454&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html