• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Background on agreement on Iran`s nuclear programme

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Brussels, Nov 15, IRNA -- The European Union Monday issued a 
backgrounder on developments reaching to the agreement between the EU 
and Iran. 
The statement noted that in October 2003, the European Council 
re-iterated its grave concerns on Iran`s nuclear programme and 
identified the urgent need for Iran to restore international 
confidence in the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme. 
The Council also underlined its readiness to explore ways to 
develop a wider co-operation with Iran. 
Since then, efforts were undertaken by several EU Member States to
develop, through collective effort at the IAEA in Vienna and through 
dialogue with Iran, a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear 
issue. 
The Teheran joint Statement of 21 October 2003 was a first step, 
in which Iran committed itself to suspend enrichment and reprocessing 
activities. 
The European Council, on 5 November 2004, re-iterating the 
importance it attached to building confidence, called on Iran to 
implement a sustained suspension of all enrichment related and 
reprocessing activities, on a voluntary basis. 
In return, the Council expressed preparedness to further engage 
with Iran, including through the resumption of the negotiations on a 
trade and cooperation agreement. 
The understanding reached today with Iran were developed in 
negotiations, at senior officials level, between Iran and several 
Member States supported by representatives of the EU High 
Representative, and are based on the following principal axes: 
- Iran committed itself to immediately suspend all 
enrichment-related and reprocessing activities as a 
confidence-building measure. Iran will notify its decision to suspend 
to the IAEA and will invite the IAEA to verify that the full 
suspension has been put into effect. The suspension will be sustained 
as long as negotiations on long-term arrangements will last. 
- The European side reconfirms Iran`s right to develop nuclear 
energy for peaceful purposes in accordance with the Non-Proliferation 
Treaty. 
- The negotiations on a trade and co-operation agreement with Iran
will be resumed and the EU will actively support the opening of WTO 
accession negotiations with Iran, as soon as the IAEA will have 
confirmed that the full suspension is in place. 
- At the same time, a process of enhanced dialogue between the EU
and Iran will be initiated which will cover the areas of technology 
and co-operation, nuclear issues, and political and security issues. 
- The overall objective to be reached through the implementation 
of these understandings is to develop mutually acceptable long-term 
arrangements concerning the Iranian nuclear programme, and a solid 
basis for stable and lasting relations between the EU and Iran, it 
concluded. 
NK/1771