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Blair welcomes IAEA endorsement of EU-Iran nuclear deal

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, Nov 30, IRNA -- Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomes the 
endorsement by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the 
European Union`s agreement on Iran`s nuclear programme, his official 
spokesman said Tuesday. 
"It demonstrates the international community`s determination to 
find a way forward and work with to work with Iran, with the Iranian 
Government to ensure Iran`s nuclear weapon-free status is maintained,"
the spokesman told IRNA at his daily briefing at the Foreign Press 
Association in London. 
The importance was that it was an ongoing issue but the Prime 
Minister`s view was "so far, so good," he said in reference to the 
latest IAEA resolution agreed in Vienna on Monday that prevented 
demands from the US to refer the issue to the UN Security Council. 
But the official spokesman declined to comment on whether the 
endorsement of the EU-Iran deal represented a success for 
multilateralism in the face of US unilateralism. 
The IAEA broad`s emphasis, he said, was that Iran must sustain its
temporary suspension of the enrichment of uranium, during which the EU
is seeking a longer-term agreement on nuclear, security and economic 
security. 
The spokesman said that the UK government urges continued progress
and cooperation by Iran with the IAEA. 
In a separate statement, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw also 
welcomed the IAEA resolution, saying it "represent real progress 
towards confidence-building in respect of Iran`s nuclear programme and
the development in relations between Europe and Iran." 
"For our part, the UK, with our European partners, looks forward 
to starting discussions with Iran in the first half of December on 
long-term arrangements," Straw said. 
At his monthly press conference on Monday, the British premier 
said that he hoped Iran would meet the undertakings that were "both 
properly given and adhered to." 
He maintained that Britain`s determination to make sure Iran 
complied with the IAEA was not for "Israel alone but for other 
countries in the region." 
In response to a question from IRNA, Blair denied that Britain was
not implementing its own obligations under the nuclear 
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). 
"We are abiding by our international obligations and will continue
to do so, and what is important is that Iran does that as well," he 
said. 
HC/2322/1432